Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

2016 presidential candidates on the military and veterans

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search



Presidential Elections-2016-badge.png

2016 Presidential Election
Date: November 8, 2016
Candidates
Winner: Donald Trump (R)
Hillary Clinton (D) • Jill Stein (G) • Gary Johnson (L) • Vice presidential candidates
Election coverage
Important dates • Nominating process • Ballotpedia's 2016 Battleground Poll • Polls • Debates • Presidential election by state • Ratings and scorecards
Ballotpedia's presidential election coverage
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016
Have you subscribed yet?

Join the hundreds of thousands of readers trusting Ballotpedia to keep them up to date with the latest political news. Sign up for the Daily Brew.
Click here to learn more.



For information about the military under the Trump administration, click here.

The overview of the issue below was current as of the 2016 election.
Defense spending was a frequent topic on the 2016 presidential campaign trail. In 2015, the U.S. military budget dipped from $610 billion to $601 billion. Despite the drop, the 2015 military budget was nearly six times larger than the education budget and more than seven times the budget for federal transportation. In 2015, 54 percent of all federal discretionary spending was allocated to the military.[1] On the world stage, the U.S. in 2016 spent more on military and defense than the next six highest spending countries combined.[2]

In polls conducted in February 2016, 35 percent of Americans said the U.S. should increase spending on defense and 40 percent said the U.S. was spending "about the right amount" on defense. Less than 25 percent of Americans said defense spending should be cut. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans said the U.S. spends too little on defense compared to 20 percent of Democrats. From 2013 to 2016, the number of Republicans favoring increased defense spending increased by 24 percent.[3]

See what the 2016 candidates and their respective party platforms said about the military and veterans below.

Interested in reading more about the 2016 candidates' stances on issues related to the military and veterans? Ballotpedia also covered what the candidates said about foreign affairs, national security, the Iran nuclear deal, ISIS, and Syrian refugees.

Democratic ticket

Democratic Party Hillary Clinton

caption
  • On September 7, 2016, the Clinton campaign released a list of 95 retired generals and admirals who supported Hillary Clinton's candidacy. Retired Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton, who joined the list of Clinton’s supporters, said in a statement, “Growing up in South Carolina, respect for individual liberties and the right for every person to vote was taught to me at an early age and it is of the utmost importance to me today. These fundamental rights are why I served and care so deeply about our great nation. Given the challenges we face around the world today, and the rhetoric we are hearing from some at home, I feel I have a moral imperative to come forth and endorse Secretary Hillary Clinton for President.”[4]
  • Clinton participated in a forum hosted by Matt Lauer on NBC News focused on national security, military action, and foreign policy on September 7, 2016. She made the following comments about the Veterans Administration and use of military force:[5]
    • On the quality of services for veterans, Clinton said, “Look, I was outraged by the stories that came out about the V.A. And I have been very clear about the necessity for doing whatever is required to move the V.A. into the 21st century, to provide the kind of treatment options that our veterans today desperately need and deserve. And that’s what I will do as president. But I will not let the V.A. be privatized. And I do think there is an agenda out there, supported by my opponent, to do just that. I think that would be very disastrous for our military veterans.”
    • On whether to deploy troops to combat ISIS, Clinton said, “We’re going to work to make sure that they have the support — they have special forces, as you know, they have enablers, they have surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance help. They are not going to get ground troops. We are not putting ground troops into Iraq ever again. And we’re not putting ground troops into Syria. We’re going to defeat ISIS without committing American ground troops. So those are the kinds of decisions we have to make on a case-by-case basis.”
  • On May 31, 2016, Clinton released her 23-point “Military Families Agenda,” which included a proposal to allow service members “to more easily switch between active-duty, National Guard and reserve service;” greater flexibility in duty assignments for married members of the military; making permanent the Career Intermission Program; improving education for military children; and increasing access to childcare. Her agenda noted, “It is little wonder that service members’ concern for their family’s well-being is a top consideration in whether troops stay in or leave the force.”[6][7]
  • Clinton pointed to her 2002 vote to authorize military force in Iraq as her “greatest regret” during a town hall on April 21, 2016. “It did not turn out the way I thought it would based on what [President George W. Bush] had said, and I regret that. I’ve said it was a mistake and it’s something I wish hadn’t turned out the way it did,” she said.[8]
  • During the fifth Democratic primary debate on February 4, 2016, Clinton discussed reforming the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): “Well, first of all, I’m absolutely against privatizing the V.A. And I am going do everything I can to build on the reforms that Senator Sanders and others in Congress have passed to try to fix what’s wrong with the V.A. There are a lot of issues about wait times and services that have to be fixed because our veterans deserve nothing but the best. But you’re absolutely right, you know, Rachel, this is another part of the Koch brothers agenda. They’ve actually formed an organization to try to begin to convince Americans we should no longer have guaranteed health care, specialized care for our veterans. I will fight that as hard as I can. I think there’s where we can enlist the veterans service organizations, the veterans of America, because, yes, let’s fix the V.A., but we will never let it be privatized, and that is a promise.”[9]
  • At an event in Derry, N.H., on November 10, 2015, Clinton rolled out a plan to overhaul the delivery of health care to veterans, and pledged to make the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) more accountable and improve conditions for active military personnel. She promised to fight “as long and hard as it takes” against any Republican effort to fully privatize the VA, but said she would allow the agency to contract with the private sector for some “specialty” surgical services, according to WMUR. Clinton’s initiative came two weeks after she was sharply criticized by U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and others for saying that issues facing veterans were “not as widespread” as Republicans had contended. A Clinton spokesman later said that Clinton believed there were “systemic” problems at the VA that need to be addressed, WMUR.com reported.[10]
  • During an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on October 23, 2015, Clinton said that issues with the care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs were not as “widespread” as the media had reported. “Now nobody would believe that from the coverage you see, and the constant berating of the VA that comes from the Republicans, in – in part in pursuit of this ideological agenda that they have,” Clinton added.[11]
  • Michael Crowley of TIME wrote that a 2014 memoir by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates was "just the latest evidence, along with previous reporting and original interviews with current and former Obama officials, of the strikingly hawkish voice Clinton offered during Obama Situation Room debates."[12]

Democratic Party Tim Kaine

caption
  • Tim Kaine was assigned to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee.[16]
  • In an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on June 15, 2016, Kaine criticized Donald Trump's comments about the military. "When I hear Donald Trump say the American military is a disaster, I want to go through the screen and shake the guy," Kaine said. "We ought to have a commander in chief who talks about our troops with respect and gratitude."[17]
  • Kaine repeatedly pressed for Congress to authorize military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Referencing the Senate's overwhelming 98-1 support for a bill requiring congressional review of the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2015, Kaine said on June 8, 2015, “I challenge my colleagues to demonstrate the same backbone on the issue of ISIL and finally come together to do what’s right for our troops and our nation.” Kaine said.[18][19]
  • Read more of Tim Kaine's public statements on 2016 campaign issues.

Republican ticket

Republican Party Donald Trump

caption
  • At a campaign event in Virginia on October 3, 2016, Trump talked about mental health issues among veterans. He said, “When you talk about the mental health problems, when people come back from war and combat, they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over. And you're strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can't handle it. And they see horror stories, they see events that you couldn’t see in a movie — nobody would believe it.”[20]
  • At a "commander-in-chief" forum on NBC News on September 7, 2016, Trump discussed his views on preparations to be commander-in-chief, military generals under the Obama administration, VA reform, veterans suicide, and sexual assault in the military.[21]
    • On his preparation to be commander-in-chief, Trump said, “Well, I’ve built a great company. I’ve been all over the world. I’ve dealt with foreign countries. I’ve done very well, as an example, tremendously well dealing with China and dealing with so many of the countries that are just ripping this country. … And I’ve had great experience dealing on an international basis. … I have good judgment. I know what’s going on. I’ve called so many of the shots.”
    • Asked about military generals under Obama, Trump said, “I think under the leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the generals have been reduced to rubble. They have been reduced to a point where it’s embarrassing for our country.”
    • On the topic of VA reform, Trump said, “Under a part of my plan … they walk outside, they go to the local doctor, they choose the doctor, they choose the hospital, whether it’s public or private, they get themselves better. … and, by the way, I never said take the V.A. — take the Veterans Administration private. I wouldn’t do that. Too much respect for our people. I would never do that.”
    • Addressing the topic of veterans suicide, Trump said, “We’re going to speed up the process. We’re going to create a great mental health division. They need help. They need help. They need tremendous help. And we’re doing nothing for them.”
    • Discussing sexual assaults in the military, Trump said, “It’s a massive problem. The numbers are staggering, hard to believe, even. But we’re going to have to run it very tight. I at the same time want to keep the court system within the military. I don’t think it should be outside of the military. But we have to come down very, very hard on that.”
  • In a speech at the Union League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016, Trump called for an increase in military spending, saying, “As soon as I take office, I will ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military. It is so depleted. We will rebuild our military.” Trump’s plan involves increasing the size of the Army to 540,000 troops and increasing the size of the country’s aircraft and naval fleets.[22]
  • In an interview on July 17, 2016, Donald Trump said he would declare war on ISIS and send U.S. troops to the Middle East to combat them directly. "I am going to have very few troops on the ground. We're going to have unbelievable intelligence, which we need; which, right now, we don't have. We don't have the people over there," Trump said. He continued, "We're going to have surrounding states and, very importantly, get NATO involved because we support NATO far more than we should, frankly, because you have a lot of countries that aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. We have to wipe out ISIS." He also clarified that his proposal for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” would be limited to certain countries. “There are territories and terror states and terror nations that we're not going to allow the people to come into our country. And we're going to have a thing called 'extreme vetting,’” he said.[23]
  • Trump said on May 23, 2016, that he “would have no problem” requesting a declaration of war against ISIS from Congress. “It wouldn’t bother me at all doing that. We probably should have done that in the first place. Look, we are at war with these people and they don’t wear uniforms. It’s not your traditional war where it’s a war against Germany, Japan, whoever. This is a war against people who are vicious, violent people that we have no idea who they are, where they come from. We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now so on top of wars on foreign land wait til you see what happens in the future, it’s probably not going to be pretty,” he said.[24]
  • Read more of Donald Trump's public statements on the military and veterans.

Republican Party Mike Pence

caption
  • Mike Pence advocated for strengthening the military during his 2015 CPAC speech. He said, "Sadly, the administration has reduced our Army to its smallest size since 1940. The Navy has fewer ships than at any time since 1916, and our Air Force has its smallest tactical fighter force in history. History teaches that you cannot reduce our military strength without provoking our enemies. Weakness arouses evil."[26]
  • He also elaborated on the importance of national defense. He said, "And as President Reagan taught us, peace comes through strength. Providing for the common defense of the United States is the chief responsibility of our national government. With everything happening in the world, it is imperative that conservatives again embrace America’s role as leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy. I believe the time has come for dramatically increased defense spending to confront the knowable and unknowable threats facing the United States and our allies in this still new century. Without rebuilding our military, no strategy or innovation, no matter how brilliant, will be sufficient to protect the people and sovereignty of the United States. Among other measures, we should revive the future combat systems of the Army and Marine Corps, resume production of the F-22, the best and most advanced fighter aircraft in the history of the world, and rebuild our Navy."[26]

Green ticket

Green Party Jill Stein

Jill-Stein-circle.png
  • On her 2016 presidential campaign website, Jill Stein proposed working for peace and human rights: "Establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, and human rights. End the wars and drone attacks, cut military spending by at least 50% and close the 700+ foreign military bases that are turning our republic into a bankrupt empire. Stop U.S. support and arms sales to human rights abusers, and lead on global nuclear disarmament."[28]

Green Party Ajamu Baraka

captin
  • During the 2016 vice presidential debate between Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Mike Pence on October 4, 2016, Baraka took to Twitter to express his views on military intervention. He tweeted:
    • "The #SteinBaraka administration will not allow the war propaganda being whipped up by these candidates and the corporate media."[31]
    • "The US has no moral standing to intervene in other countries after abusing human rights around the world for years.[32]
    • "The normalization of aggression and militarism that has developed in the last few years under a democratic adm is unjustifiable."[33]
    • "We need a commitment to peace and relations that make sense. We can use the power of the state to disengage from military action."[34]
  • Read more about Ajamu Baraka.

Libertarian ticket

Libertarian Party Gary Johnson

Gary-Johnson-(New Mexico)-circle.png
  • In an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on October 4, 2016, Johnson said, “You know what? The fact that somebody can dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a foreign leader’s geographic location then allows them to put our military in harm’s way.” Johnson was referring to an interview on September 28, 2016, when MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked Johnson to “name one foreign leader that you respect and look up to” and Johnson admitted he could not name one.[35]
  • In an October 4, 2016, interview on MSNBC, Johnson said, “We put our military in this horrible situation where we go in and support regime change. They get involved in civil wars where hundreds of thousands of innocent people are in a crossfire. We’re literally shooting at ourselves because we support both sides of conflicts, Syria as an example.” He continued, “We wonder why our men in service and women suffer from PTSD in the first place. It’s because we elect people who can dot the i’s and cross the t’s on these names and geographic locations as opposed to the underlying philosophy, which is let’s stop getting involved in these regime changes." Later in the interview, Johnson added, "You should have a working knowledge of what is going on, and what is going on are politicians that beat their chests, that claim to know about what we should be doing.” Johnson continued, “And because you put them forward as being knowledgeable, that we then put our trust and faith in politicians that put our men and women, service men and women, in harm’s way. They’re getting killed. They’re getting maimed. They’re getting injured. They’re getting psychologically damaged for the rest of their lives.”[35]
  • As part of Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" series in September 2012, Gary Johnson said he wanted to stop U.S. military interventions. He added that he believed that bombing Iran would produce 100 million more enemies.[36]

Libertarian Party Bill Weld

William-Weld-circle.png
  • On September 14, 2016, Weld tweeted, '"Libertarian nominee top choice among veterans'." Weld was referencing a poll of active-duty, retired, and former members of the military, and their family members. Gary Johnson was the preferred presidential candidate of 37 percent of respondents.[39][40]
  • On May 31, 2016, during a discussion about privatizing the VA on MSNBC's "MTP Daily," Weld said, "When the GIs returned from World War II, they had two sets of needs: education and healthcare. Now on education, they had probably the most successful program in domestic political history, the GI Bill, which was essentially a voucher program. On healthcare, they went the other way, command and control, one-size-fits-all, government operated, that's the only place you have to go. If that had been a voucher program like the education solution, things might be very different now. And it's structural. It's not President Obama's fault. It's no one president's fault, but everyone realizes that the desire of the people working at the VA hospitals is the top in the country, but very few people would pretend that the level of care is the same as in the private sector."[41]
  • Read more about Bill Weld.'

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 2016 presidential candidates military veterans. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

2016 presidential candidates on the military and veterans - Google News

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Priorities Project, "Military Spending in the United States," accessed September 12, 2016
  2. ↑ Business Insider, "These charts show the immensity of the US' defense budget," August 31, 2015
  3. ↑ Gallup, "Americans Less Likely to See U.S. as No. 1 Militarily," February 15, 2016
  4. ↑ Hillary for America, "Ninety-Five Retired Generals and Admirals Endorse Hillary Clinton," September 7, 2016
  5. ↑ TIME, "Read Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s Remarks at a Military Forum," September 7, 2016
  6. ↑ Military Times, "Clinton's plan for military families: More leave flexibility, easier move schedules," June 1, 2016
  7. ↑ The Virginian-Pilot, "Hillary Clinton rolls out plans to assist military families," June 1, 2016
  8. ↑ The Huffington Post, "Hillary Clinton Reveals Her ‘Greatest Regret’," April 21, 2016
  9. ↑ The New York Times, "Transcript of the Democratic Presidential Debate," February 5, 2016
  10. ↑ WMUR.com, "Clinton rolls out vets plan, promises to fight full-fledged privatization of VA," November 10, 2015
  11. ↑ The Hill, "Clinton: Veterans Affairs scandal not a ‘widespread’ problem'," October 24, 2015
  12. ↑ Time, “Hillary Clinton’s Unapologetically Hawkish Record Faces 2016 Test," January 14, 2014
  13. ↑ New York Times, “Hillary’s War," May 29, 2007
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  15. ↑ Democratic Party, "The 2016 Democratic Party Platform," accessed August 24, 2016
  16. ↑ Tim Kaine United States Senator for Virginia, "Committee Assignments," accessed July 25, 2016
  17. ↑ MSNBC, "Senator: Honor victims by changing gun laws," June 15, 2016
  18. ↑ Politico, "Kaine and Flake team up to force war authorization debate," June 8, 2015
  19. ↑ The Hill, "Senate overwhelmingly approves Iran review bill in 98-1 vote," May 7, 2015
  20. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Trump suggests military members with mental health issues aren't 'strong' and 'can't handle it,'" October 3, 2016
  21. ↑ Time, "Read Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s Remarks at a Military Forum," September 7, 2016
  22. ↑ ABC News, "Donald Trump Calls for Military Cuts to Be Lifted, Calls Clinton 'Trigger-Happy,'" September 7, 2016
  23. ↑ CNN, "Trump: I'd declare war on ISIS, send 'very few' troops," July 17, 2016
  24. ↑ RealClearPolitics, "Trump: "I Just Have No Choice" But To Fight Back Against "Dirty Players" Clintons," May 23, 2016
  25. ↑ Republican Party, "The 2016 Republican Party Platform," accessed August 24, 2016
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 MikePence.com, "Governor Pence CPAC Speech," accessed April 1, 2015
  27. ↑ Congressman Mike Pence, "Biography" accessed November 5, 2011
  28. ↑ Jill Stein for President, "Power to the People Plan," accessed July 20, 206
  29. ↑ Jill Stein for President, "Issues," accessed July 6, 2015
  30. ↑ Green Party, "The 2016 Green Party Platform on Social Justice," accessed August 24, 2016
  31. ↑ Twitter, "Ajamu Baraka," October 4, 2016
  32. ↑ Twitter, "Ajamu Baraka," October 4, 2016
  33. ↑ Twitter, "Ajamu Baraka," October 4, 2016
  34. ↑ Twitter, "Ajamu Baraka," October 4, 2016
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Politico, "Gary Johnson: I can't start wars with places if I can't find them on a map," October 4, 2016
  36. ↑ Reddit, "I am Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for President. AMA," September 26, 2012
  37. ↑ YouTube, "Cut Military by 43% but Not Veterans Benefits," accessed January 7, 2016
  38. ↑ Libertarian Party, "The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform," accessed August 24, 2016
  39. ↑ Twitter, "Gov. Bill Weld," September 14, 2016
  40. ↑ The Hill, "Libertarian nominee top choice among veterans," September 12, 2016
  41. ↑ MSNBC, "Presidential Candidates Clinton, Johnson Join MTP Daily," May 31, 2016
v • e
2016 United States Presidential Election
OverviewsPresidential Elections-2016-badge.png
Candidate profiles
Path to the presidency
Policy positions
On the campaign trail
Ballotpedia's battleground poll • Campaign preparations • Political and leadership attributes • Presidential campaign trackers and opposition researchers
Campaign staff
Debates
Analysis
The media's coverage of Donald Trump • The media's coverage of Hillary Clinton

Post-debate analysis overview
Democratic: April 14, 2016 (CNN) • March 9, 2016 (Univision) • March 6, 2016 (CNN) • February 11, 2016 (PBS) • February 4, 2016 (MSNBC) • January 17, 2016 (NBC) • December 19, 2015 (ABC) • November 14, 2015 (CBS) • October 13, 2015 (CNN)
Republican: March 10, 2016 (CNN) • March 3, 2016 (FNC) • February 25, 2016 (CNN) • February 13, 2016 (CBS) • February 6, 2016 (ABC) • January 28, 2016 (FNC) • January 14, 2016 (FBN) • December 15, 2015 (CNN) • November 10, 2015 (FBN) • October 28, 2015 (CNBC) • September 16, 2015 (CNN)

Insiders Poll: First Democratic debate (October 13, 2015) • Presidential Nominating Index: Clinton remains choice of Democratic Insiders • Presidential Nominating Index: Bush remains choice of Republican Insiders • Insiders Poll: Winners and losers from the Fox News Republican Debate


Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=2016_presidential_candidates_on_the_military_and_veterans&oldid=6670477"