Five Reasons A President Trump Might Not Increase Defense Spending (From National Interest)

Donald Trump is a nationalist, but he is no militarist.  Observers should not assume that because he is so forceful in his public pronouncements on national security he is certain to raise military spending if elected president.  In fact, there are multiple reasons to suspect he won’t.  First, the domestic initiatives he has proposed are hugely expensive.  Second, Trump thinks allies should defend themselves rather than relying on Washington.  Third, Trump doesn’t view Russian leader Vladimir Putin as an enemy.  Fourth, Trump thinks the Pentagon is awash in waste.  And fifth, Trump’s oft-stated concerns about ISIS may have been addressed by inauguration day, with the terror group’s caliphate slipping into history.  I have written a commentary for The National Interest here.