{"id":23341,"date":"2020-09-08T13:38:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-08T13:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/09\/08\/trump-says-pentagon-leaders-are-under-defense-industrys-influence\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:03:46","slug":"trump-says-pentagon-leaders-are-under-defense-industrys-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/2020\/09\/08\/trump-says-pentagon-leaders-are-under-defense-industrys-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump says Pentagon leaders are under defense industry\u2019s influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 U.S. President Donald Trump accused Pentagon leaders of wanting to \u201cfight wars\u201d to satisfy the defense industry, during a White House news conference Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump, who\u2019s been under fire for reports he disparaged fallen service members<\/a>, made the remarks to contrast with his Democratic opponent in the presidential race, former Vice President Joe Biden, who he accused of sending \u201cour youth to fight these crazy endless wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying the military\u2019s in love with me. The soldiers are,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThe top people in the Pentagon probably aren\u2019t because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the Trump administration, the president has proudly supported the U.S. defense industry and the jobs it creates, both at home<\/a> and through overseas deals<\/a>. Trump, in December 2018, called U.S. defense spending levels \u201ccrazy,\u201d but he\u2019s also boasted that he\u2019s responsible for $2.5 trillion in spending on military equipment. (The figure is reportedly much lower<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\t