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Donald Trump delivered a feisty campaign-style speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference overnight.
Key points:
- Mr Trump says the build-up will make sure "nobody is going to mess with [the US]"
- Earlier this week, he said he wanted to revamp the country's nuclear arsenal
- He also denied reports he labelled the media an "enemy of the people"
As usual, there's a fair bit to chew through, including plans to beef up the US military and an update on the wall.
Here are the important bits from US President's speech.
He wants a big army
Mr Trump said he will be putting in a "massive" budget request to build up the United States army.
Specifically, he wants "one of the greatest military build-ups" in American history.
"And, hopefully, we'll never have to use it, but nobody is going to mess with us. Nobody," Mr Trump said.
He said his administration believed in "peace through strength" and that strength would be used to "totally obliterate ISIS".
But there's a problem with the plan
It is likely to meet stiff resistance in Congress because Mr Trump's plans to slash taxes while funding the military build-up will significantly add to the US budget deficit, according to Reuters.
So, how much does the US spend on defence?
Here's how a 2016 report from the Institute for Strategic Studies broke it down:
- US: $598 billion
- Top 14 countries after US combined (including Australia): $664 billion
- Rest of the world combined: $317 billion
Australia is ranked in the top 14 countries after the US according to the report, with an annual defence spend of $23 billion.
'Fake news' is still in Trump's crosshairs
He wasted no time attacking the media and spent 10 minutes at the top of the speech heaping criticism on what he called purveyors of "fake news".
Mr Trump also tried to clarify a recent tweet in which he said some in the US news media should be considered an "enemy of the people".
"In fact, in covering my comments, the dishonest media did not explain that I called the fake news the enemy of the people — the fake news," he said.
"I'm against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn't be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody's name."
He also took a swipe at CNN, labelling them the "Clinton News Network".
What else did Mr Trump say?
Speech shows divisions remain
By North America correspondent Conor DuffyWalking on stage to Lee Greenwood's Proud to Be an American, Donald Trump's entry song might have more accurately been titled proud to be a conservative.
Addressing the party faithful at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) the tone of the address was more like a campaign speech, aimed squarely at the party's base.
He spoke on all his favourite themes — including the wall, deporting illegal immigrants, or as he called them "bad dudes", renegotiating trade deals and putting America first.
He received rapturous applause and several standing ovations but the speech contained little for the majority of Americans who did not vote for him last year.
It also included a particularly spicy attack on the mainstream media — some of whom were later banned from a press conference at the White House.
It played brilliantly to the conservative crowd who cheered enthusiastically but even for a president who skilfully self-publishes it may prove to be a damaging distraction and privately some Trump supporters think so too.
It also fosters a with-us-or-against-us mentality that will do little to heal divisions in a country bruised by a vicious election campaign.
He's still building the wall:
"We're building the wall. We're building the wall. In fact, it's going to start soon. Way ahead of schedule."
There could be a new immigration order coming soon:
"We are going to keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country. We will not be deterred from this course, and in a matter of days we will be taking brand new action to protect our people and keep America safe. You will see the action."
He likes Bernie Sanders:
"A lot of Bernie people voted for Trump because you know why? He was right about trade. Our country is being absolutely devastated by trade deals, so we got a lot of support. So actually I like Bernie."
Up next for the President is a nationally televised speech to the US Congress on Wednesday (AEDT).
ABC/Reuters
Topics: world-politics, donald-trump, us-elections, united-states
First posted