In the race to gain an edge over military strength, President Trump and Vice President Harris repeatedly demonstrate their differing views. Trump on one side, using his term as President to rebuild the U.S. military strength, increased defense spending significantly, and successfully established the Space Force, stepping up American presence in space. He often emphasizes his role in undoing the sequestration cuts to the defense budget enacted during the Obama administration.
Harris on the other hand, strives for diplomacy and international cooperation. Her approach primarily emphasizes creating strong partnerships with nations worldwide to manage international conflicts effectively. She has been advocating for a shift in foreign policy, which focuses on human rights and democracy promotion. Harris also considers climate change as a global potential security threat and pushes for a Green New Deal to address it. She supports the right-sizing of the military budget, advocating for balance in resource allocation between defense, healthcare, and education sectors.
Despite their dissimilar approaches, both Trump and Harris tenure have placed their fair share of importance on the matter of military strength, albeit through different lenses. While Trump thinks of military strength in terms of arms and armies, Harris conceptualizes strength in terms of partnerships and alliances. These divergent perspectives represent different dimensions to the concept of military strength and underscore the range of priorities and strategies that American leadership can choose to pursue.