Trump to keep pushing allies to pay 'fair share' of defense costs in 2nd term

Seems like he has given up on all the walls, swamp, corona etc. His main core pledge should simply be 'to not suck as badly as I have been doing'

How a man who hasn't paid his taxes for decades gets the gall to talk about "paying your fair share" tells you all you need to know about the hypocrisy of this painted buffoon.

Tragically, 42% of US voters are OK with that.

Trump will also hold Beijing "fully accountable for allowing" the novel coronavirus, which was initially detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, to spread around the world, the campaign said.

Good luck with this. All he is doing is looking to get his base fired up and not focus on him.

There is not such thing as a "fair share" when it comes to the utterly ridiculous U.S. war budget. Spread it around and its still just robbery.

Everyone has their own armed forces so what you do Don boy is pack up your toys, load them in your radio flyer and take them home.

His main core pledge should simply be 'to not suck as badly as I have been doing'

Havent you realized by now that even when he makes a mistake, screws up, or totally sucks, it's a success to him.

He is never wrong, and it's always someone else he blames for his failures.

Trump would stab his own children in the back if it meant protecting him from anything.

There is zero chance of a second term. Trust me.

Good idea. Russian weapons are far superior than American weapons and much cheaper.

President Donald Trump will keep pressing U.S. allies to pay their "fair share" of defense costs and will work to end U.S. reliance on China as part of his pledges for the November election, his campaign said Sunday.

Sure, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Give him another 4 years and he might manage it.

Just kidding, nah he won’t.

President Donald Trump will keep pressing U.S. allies to pay their "fair share" of defense costs and will work to end U.S. reliance on China as part of his pledges for the November election, his campaign said Sunday.

Just like he promised that Mexico would pay for his wall!

The thought of another four years of this clown is truly depressing. Just think, the US and the world may be rid of him in a matter of weeks.

Does he seriously not understand that having troops overseas protects America's interests in other ways? He thinks this is a rent issue.

If Trump did not constantly create conflicts with our traditional allies, the U.S. would find it easier to work with them and carry out collective actions when needed. Hopefully the new Administration can fix all the unnecessary damage he has caused.

Just like he promised that Mexico would pay for his wall!

And they are, just you people don't seem to know how its being done, which is ok because that is expected from sheeple. Mexico is indeed paying but not in the sense that you see it, so open your eyes look at the new NAFTA treaty and read it carefully, really really carefully. Not everything in governments appears like what you or I know but back channels. As for the payment, I as a taxpayer of Japan I'm ok with that but what I want to see more of is US troops that we pay for do their fair share of taking on the aggressors like China head on, sink their boats when in our waters. The agreement says you can in our defense. Besides its not considered sinking ships anyway out there to borrow from the Chinese, its merely scientific research to gather data that never becomes public anyway..

2nd term?

Hahaha‼️

He wants to essentially monetize national security.

Trump has no understanding of the value of alliances. And he is not interested in finding out.

Trump to keep pushing allies to pay 'fair share' of defense costs in 2nd term

This is a good thing. Some 'allies' don't like it because they know very well they got away with not only under paying, but also git away with taking advantage of the U.S. on trade because of previous administrations.

President Trump 2020!!!

Better still, strive to live peaceably with all nations and dismantle those foreign bases. Use the savings to invest in health care for your people.

Better still, strive to live peaceably with all nations and dismantle those foreign bases. Use the savings to invest in health care for your people.

Good post.

Japan’s current agreement doesn’t provide a clear statement on total contributions. (what a shock. japan not providing a clear answer. gosh, it's almost as if they are always hiding the truth or something everytime they do this.) However, Japan’s current support amounts to approximately $1.7 billion.

By comparison, the Department of Defense currently estimates the total cost of maintaining the U.S. presence in Japan $5.7 billion.

Randy

This information can be found on Google. Japan pays %75 of the cost to host U.S. Soldiers on Japanese territory. More than any other country in the world. More than Germany, more than S. Korea, Japan has paid the most for decades now, long before China's military rise and North Korea missile and Nuclear capabilities.

Japan is also the shield protecting America, the country first in line for Chinese missile, Korean missiles 5000 miles before they get to mainland USA, at a time when you Americans are becoming very anti-China and expect Japan's blind support.

Guess that doesn't count for anything, just like the millions of Americans we employ back in the USA which Trump doesn't seem to care anymore.

Our enemies love article 9 just like the Americans love article 9 who pushed it on Japan and Japan only, now they complain that they have to defend us. We did it to you Japan, we are the reason your so weak militarily and need America... But let's not talk about that, don't focus on facts.

President Trump 2020!!!

MAGA 2020 dump Trump , vote for your lives , vote for America

Japan used to pay most of the cost to station the old USS Midway in Yokosuka. I don't think Midway ever saw a US shipyard in decades. All of her overhauls were at Yokosuka. Members who cruised with the Midway would tell of all the Japanese writing on the inside of the hull, measurements and other information written on the inside of the ship by Japanese shipyard workers as they rebuilt her time after time over the course of her tour of duty there. The joke back then was that Midway was actually Japan's first post WWII aircraft carrier so much of her and her air wing's costs were born by the Japanese taxpayer.

Americans need to understand the seriousness of trump stupid policies if he is re-elected as a president. Japan and South Korea is in so much pressure because of Trump forcing it's allies to pay more for security risk. World's need peace and Asia can only achieve this creating a economic hub and China should stop expanding and claiming the islands that doesn't belong to them. Because of china and USA japan is suffering economic crises worst than the lost decades. Japanese should focus on developing a neutral policy towards the USA. Japan need new friends like Pakistan,China,South Korea to revive it's sinking economy

Why doesn't the USA go home and stop meddling in politics across the globe. Stay home and fix your home before trying to tell other people how to fix their lives.

I like the idea of the US upping the costs for allied countries to maintain US military installations for two reasons; 1) the host nation is forced to confront its over reliance on a foreign nation and the lack of investment in their own defense, and 2) it can help to hasten the reduction in US commitments and someday to a complete withdrawal.

US military in Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy and elsewhere should be replaced by the home countries increase in defense spending and commitments. The US can still rotate in troops, ships, and planes for training on a regular basis. Maintaining the US 7th Fleet in Japan is long past it’s usefulness. Japan and Korea must face up to the Chinese challenge or face being dominated by them.

The US now has a $26 trillion dollar debt and there is nothing keeping it from growing by at least another trillion ever year. It’s unsustainable for the military and for the much more extensive and expensive domestic programs. It’s inevitable that the cost of US protection will continue to go up.

During his campaign, Trump kept saying that Japan gets its defense for free. Did anyone ever tell him that Japan pays 80% of the cost of hosting the US military? We don't pay the salaries of the troops, or that would make them mercenaries. Or is he trying to turn US protection into a profit making company? And the US evidently has not won a war since they beat us in WWII. This can't be a good deal.

The U.S. maintains 517 bases and facilities in 41 countries all over the world. Among them, Japan stands out most conspicuously by having 121 bases and facilities planted on its soil with an estimated asset value amounting to $77,572,700,000. (See the September 7, 2018 Okinawa Times)

Does the U.S. pay this money to the Japanese coffers as rents? Never at all. These bases are offered to the U.S. for free. Not only that, Japanese taxpayers are also shouldering an annual $8.4 billion for the operation and maintenance of these bases.

And Trump is contemplating to exhort more money from Japan? Nonsense.

There seems to be at least one follower of this thread who is critical of what I posted above. Here’s my response to him/her.

If the U.S. had dispatched troops to Japan at the request of the Japanese government, Trump had every right to demand for more money to be paid to them as well as to maintain the bases at which they are stationed.

But were these troops dispatched to Japan at Japan’s request as mercenaries to defend Japan?

Aren't they stationed here primarily to defend the U.S.’s vested interest and its sphere of influence in this part of the Pacific Ocean, that is, to defend the U.S. itself? If so, why should the Japanese taxpayers shoulder so much cost for their deployment here?

A lot of people are willfully ignorant as to what President Trump has done for the US. With a little bit of effort they would find that he is Pro America, prior to the pandemic (oddly enough) the stock market and economy was booming. He helped black Americans the most with lowering their unemployment, but actually he helped everyone out. I think he is trying to keep that going without losing sight of finding ways to cut the fat. Having countries that benefit from American protection from rogue or aggressive countries isn't free and a fair share should be on the table. We don't want to be forced to be speaking Mandarin in four years do we?

james,

You sound like a crime syndicate's boss who tells residents in the turf, “We're here to protect you from other crime syndicates' attacks. Our protection of you from these rogues isn't free and so you must pay protection money more. Got it?"