See how Trump and Harris' stances on military support compare

There are similarities betwixt erstwhile President Donald Trump and President Biden connected semipermanent equipped forces strategy, but successful nan run-up to nan 2024 election, stark differences successful Harris and Trump's position of nan military's domiciled person emerged.

Trump, having been commander-in-chief, has a argumentation grounds and views connected nan military. But erstwhile advisers pinch whom he fought during his presidency person warned that a 2nd Trump management could look overmuch different than nan first. 

Harris doesn't person arsenic overmuch successful her inheritance that illuminates her views of nan domiciled of nan active-duty military. But it's apt a Harris management would travel nan norms of erstwhile presidents and nan nationalist defense strategy nether President Biden. 

The Ukraine conflict

The Biden-Harris management has committed to support Ukraine pinch subject assistance but has drawn nan statement astatine providing U.S. troops connected nan ground. 

Trump connected nan run way has said Putin would ne'er person invaded Ukraine while he was president and has claimed without providing a scheme that he could extremity nan warfare successful a day. 

NATO

Harris astatine nan Munich Security Conference earlier this twelvemonth reaffirmed nan U.S. committedness to NATO. Under Article 5 of nan NATO treaty, an onslaught connected immoderate NATO personnel state would beryllium considered an onslaught connected each NATO countries, and each state would lend to nan corporate defense of nan confederation — including nan usage of equipped force. During nan Biden-Harris administration, NATO welcomed 2 much members — Finland and Sweden — to nan alliance. 

As president, Trump criticized NATO members for not paying much for their ain defense, and since past much NATO countries person made strides successful gathering nan 2% of GDP target that NATO group successful 2014. On nan run way successful February, he said "Russia could do immoderate they want" if NATO members don't salary much for their ain defense. 

Israel and nan Mideast

Harris has called nan narration betwixt nan U.S. and Israel an important alliance, but besides says Israel must do much to forestall civilian casualties successful its operations. The Biden management astatine 1 constituent paused 1 shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, informing it wouldn't proviso weapons for an violative successful Rafah, but it has continued shipping different arms. 

Trump who describes himself "a protector" of Israel, has besides called for a speedy extremity to nan Israel-Gaza conflict, saying successful October, "I will support Israel's correct to triumph its warfare connected terror, and it has to triumph it fast." 

China

Mr. Biden has said nan U.S. would travel to Taiwan's assistance if China invaded, but Harris successful an question and reply pinch "60 Minutes" stuck pinch nan charismatic U.S. argumentation of "strategic ambiguity." She has said it's important to support Taiwan's expertise to take sides itself. 

Trump has dodged questions connected whether nan U.S. would travel to nan assistance of Taiwan if China invaded. In an question and reply earlier this year, he said Taiwan should salary nan U.S. much for helping successful its defense. 

Trump and "the force within" 

The U.S. military's superior domiciled is to take sides nan state from outer threats, but during his campaign, Trump has suggested he mightiness effort to deploy nan subject against his governmental opponents astatine home.  

In October, Trump said successful an question and reply that connected Election Day, location would beryllium threats that "are nan group from within."

"We person immoderate sick people, extremist near lunatics. And I deliberation they're nan — and it should beryllium very easy handled by — if necessary, by National Guard, aliases if really necessary, by nan military, because they can't fto that happen," Trump told Fox News successful mid-October. 

Since Trump made those remarks, John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine wide and Trump's erstwhile main of staff, has spoken astir interactions he had pinch Trump that raised concerns nan erstwhile president, if elected again, could norm for illustration a dictator. 

Kelly told The New York Times successful October, "This rumor of utilizing nan subject connected — to spell aft — American citizens is 1 of those things I deliberation is simply a very, very bad point — moreover to opportunity it for governmental purposes to get elected — I deliberation it's a very, very bad thing, fto unsocial really doing it." He besides told nan Times that Trump fresh nan meaning of a fascist.

Trump and his run person denied Kelly's accounts. 

In 2020, during nationwide protests related to nan decease of George Floyd, Trump threatened to usage subject unit against protesters. "If a metropolis aliases authorities refuses to return nan actions that are basal to take sides nan life and spot of their residents, past I will deploy nan United States subject and quickly lick nan problem for them," Trump said. After rioting successful Washington, D.C., he said, "I americium dispatching thousands and thousands of heavy equipped soldiers, subject unit and rule enforcement officers to extremity nan rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and nan wanton demolition of property."

Then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said Trump wanted to nonstop 10,000 active-duty subject troops to face protesters successful D.C. In May 2022, Esper told "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell that during a June 2020 gathering astir nan rioters, Trump said, "'Can't you conscionable sprout them? Just sprout them successful nan legs aliases something.'" Esper said Trump was "suggesting that's what we should do, that we should bring successful nan troops and sprout nan protesters." (Trump has called Esper's assertions "a complete lie.")

Esper said successful a connection aft nan gathering pinch Trump that he did not support nan usage of nan Insurrection Act, nan usage of active-duty forces successful a rule enforcement role. Days aft nan 2020 election, Trump fired him.

Harris condemns usage of subject astatine home 

Harris has condemned nan thought of utilizing subject unit domestically. 

She has pointed to Trump's comments connected nan U.S. subject handling nan "enemy within" arsenic 1 logic she believes a "second Trump word would beryllium a immense consequence for America — and dangerous."

The Biden administration, for illustration nan Trump management and erstwhile administrations of some parties, has utilized nan National Guard and a mini number of active-duty troops astatine nan confederate separator to support Customs and Border Protection. 

What are Donald Trump's views connected nan military?

During his administration, Trump's nationalist defense strategy pointed to Russia and China arsenic nan top threats to nan U.S. nationalist defense. 

But that strategy was written by Trump's then-Defense Secretary and retired Gen. James Mattis. Mattis entered nan Trump management successful 2017 and was terminated earlier Trump's presidency ended.  

Trump told Fox News, "The force from within, successful my opinion, is much vulnerable than China, Russia, and each these countries, because if you person a smart president, he tin grip them beautiful easily." 

On nan run trail, Trump has some acknowledged nan semipermanent goals of China and Russia and astatine nan aforesaid clip praised nan countries' authoritarian leaders. 

At a rally successful March, Trump called Chinese President Xi Jinping "smart" and said he was astatine nan "top of his game." He besides called Russian President Vladimir Putin "smart," and said nan 2 were "very smart group opinionated location talking astir nan world bid for nan adjacent 100 years." 

During his presidency, Trump seemed to side pinch Putin complete nan U.S. intelligence organization connected its appraisal that Russia had tried to meddle successful nan 2016 statesmanlike election. "Dan Coats came to me, and immoderate others, they said they deliberation it's Russia," Trump said astatine a 2018 news convention aft gathering pinch Putin. "I person President Putin, he conscionable said it's not Russia. I will opportunity this, I don't spot immoderate logic why it would be." Later, he said he had misspoken. 

What are Kamala Harris' views connected nan military?

The nationalist defense strategy nether nan Biden management didn't stray overmuch from Trump's. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin identified China arsenic "the pacing challenge" — aliases nan threat that nan Defense Department has to support up pinch semipermanent — and Russia "the acute challenge," aliases nan threat that could coming problems successful nan adjacent term. 

Harris was vice president erstwhile nan strategy was drafted, and Austin told reporters earlier this twelvemonth that Harris was "a cardinal player." 

"Having observed her supply input to immoderate very analyzable determination making processes, she is ever prepared, she ever provides meaningful and very adjuvant input," Austin said astatine a property convention successful July. "The president is nan awesome subordinate successful nan process, but she is simply a cardinal player," 

In an question and reply pinch "60 Minutes," Harris was asked which state was nan U.S. top adversary.

"I deliberation there's an evident 1 successful mind, which is Iran," she said. 

Amid nan conflict successful nan Middle East, caller weeks person seen Hezbollah successful Lebanon and Houthis successful Yemen — some proxies of Iran — launch missiles, rockets and drones against Israel, and Iranian-backed militias occurrence connected U.S. troops stationed successful Iraq and Syria. In response, nan U.S. has conducted airstrikes against Iranian weapons accommodation successful Syria. The U.S. has besides deployed 2 aircraft bearer onslaught groups to nan region.

Politicization of nan military

The U.S. military's domiciled has traditionally been to take sides nan state from outer threats astatine nan guidance of elected civilians, while staying retired of partisan politics. 

Both governmental parties person tried to summation governmental advantage by trying to nexus candidates to precocious support ratings from nan military, but Trump has gone further to necktie his narration pinch nan subject and nan usage of subject unit to his ain governmental objectives. 

And Trump's caller comments suggesting he'd usage nan subject "against nan force from within" differentiate him from Harris — and from astir presidents connected nan narration betwixt nan subject and civilian society. The comments build disconnected ideas he had during his first word to usage U.S. subject troops, alternatively than civilian rule enforcement for home issues for illustration protests. 

The Posse Comitatus Act mostly bans utilizing nan subject for home unrest, but location is simply a rarely-used loophole called nan 1807 Insurrection Act that allows nan president to usage nan subject domestically if warranted. It was astir precocious utilized successful 1992 by President George H.W. Bush aft some metropolis and authorities leaders asked for national thief to quell nan L.A. riots. 

During his administration, Trump surrounded himself pinch advisers, galore of them retired high-ranking generals, who recommended against utilizing nan subject arsenic a home instrumentality and invoking nan Insurrection Act. A 2nd administration, however, whitethorn beryllium different since his narration pinch galore of nan men he initially praised arsenic "my generals" soured.

"He hugged them truthful adjacent that erstwhile things went sideways, that emotion quickly turned to hate," Peter Feaver, a professor of governmental subject and nationalist argumentation astatine Duke University, said successful an interview. "By nan extremity of his term, he was attacking nan subject successful very personalized ways, overmuch much dramatically than erstwhile presidents."

On nan 2024 run trail, Trump has said he'd occurrence what he calls "woke" generals. 

"It would beryllium ineligible because nan president has nan authority to prime and take who are elder officers, but nan strategy usually tries to return partisan authorities retired of that calculation arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and only prime who are nan champion subject officers based connected acquisition and master confidence," Feaver said. 

Harris' campaign, too, has touted endorsements from erstwhile nationalist information officials and included retired subject leaders. The officials whitethorn take to endorse, but Feaver says specified a database from either statement "has nan effect of sucking nan subject deeper into partisan politics."

Unlike Trump, neither Mr. Biden nor Harris person feuded pinch subject leaders, but location was a disconnect during nan 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal betwixt nan readying by civilian leaders successful nan State Department and White House and nan subject readying retired of nan Pentagon. 

As it turned chaotic, location was "some digit pointing" astir who was astatine fault, Feaver said. Then, soon aft nan withdrawal, nan civilian activity astatine nan White House and State Department worked pinch nan subject successful nan lead-up to Russia's penetration of Ukraine, marking a "more affirmative experience" from a civilian-military constituent of view, Feaver said.

Defense argumentation plans, nationalist defense strategy and spending 

In position of defense semipermanent strategy, nan Trump and Biden administrations were for nan astir portion connected nan aforesaid page. 

The 2018 National Defense Strategy written by Defense Secretary James Mattis during nan Trump management pointed to Russia and China arsenic nan top threats to American nationalist defense, and nan 2022 strategy written by Austin describes China arsenic nan "pacing challenge" semipermanent and Russia arsenic a threat successful nan near-term.  

"Mattis and truthful Trump really prioritized some Russia and China, and Biden really prioritized China," Michael O'Hanlon, nan Phil Knight Chair successful Defense and Strategy astatine nan Brookings Institution, said successful an interview. "But nan Austin squad publically acknowledged that they were fundamentally pursuing successful nan contented of Mattis and [Mark] Esper."

The main quality betwixt nan 2 administrations connected this is nan defense budget, according to O'Hanlon, who said Trump initially accrued nan fund complete inflation, whereas nan Biden management has kept nan fund much static, keeping up pinch ostentation but not exceeding it. 

There's nary guarantee a 2nd Trump White House would look for illustration nan first aliases that Harris arsenic commander-in-chief would travel nan trajectory of nan Biden White House, but successful comparing nan grounds of some White Houses, Trump and Harris align somewhat connected wide defense strategy if not connected nan much important knowing of what nan domiciled of nan subject should be. 

Military advice 

The president is nan commander-in-chief of nan subject and responsible for making decisions. Senior Pentagon leaders connection proposal to nan president, but ultimately, it's up to nan president to determine connected utilizing subject force. 

Presidents Trump and Biden successful their guidance to nan imaginable of "forever wars" that ensnare U.S. forces for decades person made decisions against nan proposal of subject commanders. It's difficult to comparison really Vice President Harris views subject advice, since she has ne'er held nan domiciled of commander-in-chief, but she has been successful nan room for Mr. Biden's decisions. 

It's yet nan president's determination connected what proposal to take, but during Trump's tenure, immoderate nationalist information officials resigned aliases were fired aft he decided against their recommendations. 

Among them was retired four-star Marine Corps General James Mattis who served arsenic Trump's first defense secretary. He resigned aft Trump announced he would propulsion each U.S. forces retired of Syria. Trump later tweeted that Mattis was nan world's "most overrated general." 

Trump's determination — against subject proposal — to tie down to 2,500 U.S. forces successful Afghanistan led to Mr. Biden's determination — besides against subject proposal — to retreat wholly successful 2021. Vice President Harris said during September's statesmanlike statement she supported Biden's decision.