Readers React: If Trump complains to NATO about U.S. military spending, why does he want such a huge increase?
To the editor: As I understand it, President Trump is complaining vociferously about how much the United States is putting into military spending protecting other countries.
It’s not just the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of course. Why do we have troops in South Korea, Japan and elsewhere?
But what I don’t understand is that if Trump is going to dramatically scale back our military commitments to all these countries and alliances, then why does he seek such a massive increase in defense spending? Why do we need a factory in Ohio building more Abrams tanks?
Erica Hahn, Monrovia
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To the editor: Asking our NATO allies to live up to their spending commitments makes eminent economic sense.
But having the guy who said that paying very little in taxes makes him smart now tell NATO allies that their low defense spending is unfair to American taxpayers — that is the irony of all ironies.
Greg Gabriel, Aliso Viejo
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