Fact check: Trump brags to troops about 10 percent pay raise he didn't actually give

Fact check: Trump brags to troops about 10 percent pay raise he didn't actually give them

The president also got it very wrong when he claimed during his trip to Iraq that service members haven't had a wage hike in 10 years.

Dec. 27, 2018 / 10:28 AM EST / Updated 11:43 AM EST
By Jane C. Timm

President Donald Trump told American troops in Iraq that he had given them a 10 percent raise, and that it was their first pay hike in a decade — but he didn't, and it wasn't.

"You just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received," Trump said in remarks at al-Asad Airbase during his surprise trip to Iraq on Wednesday, drawing cheers from the troops. "You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years — more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one."

Troops will receive a 2.6 percent — not 10 percent — pay hike for 2019; they got a 2.4 percent pay hike in 2018.

What's more, American troops have received a pay hike every year for decades. 2019's raise is the largest in nine years.

Military pay raises are tied to increases in private-sector wages, as calculated by the Department of Labor. Congress can also enact raises that exceed that rate, as well.

Trump insisted that he personally had fought for this raise, because the troops put their lives on the line.

"They said: 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.' I said: 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,'" Trump told the troops. "Because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations."

The remarks came during the president's first trip to troops stationed in a combat zone, days after he announced he'd withdraw the U.S. from foreign wars in Syria and Afghanistan.

"No force in history has done more for the cause of justice and peace," Trump told the service members. "We are always going to protect you. And you just saw that because you just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received."

Basic pay for active duty soldiers ranged from $19,659 to $38,059 this year, based on experience level and rank.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...-raise-n952336

He's talking about a 10% increase in the rate of increase. The idea originated in Congress but Trump jumped on it and totally supported it which is why it passed, it's over a 2 year period with the 2 year DOD budget he pushed to get passed.

I think the Troops know what he's talking about even though NBC's Timm doesn't. It's such a shame what this corrupt media does to our country with their Fake News.

Trump is only hurting his own credibility with such outrageous claims. President Ronald Reagan has been the only President, to my recollection, to give the troops a 10% pay increase. Nobody else has come close since.

My advice, Mr. President, do your homework before commenting on such least you make yourself look foolish and out of touch at best and a liar at worse.

Quote:

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What's more, American troops have received a pay hike every year for decades. 2019's raise is the largest in nine years.

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A COLA is not a "raise", it's a COLA "pay hike". Only when you raise the rate does it become a "raise". So Trump is telling the truth, the people reporting it are not. Troops know what he's talking about, even if you don't.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

A COLA is not a "raise", it's a COLA "pay hike". Only when you raise the rate does it become a "raise". So Trump is telling the truth, the people reporting it are not. Troops know what he's talking about, even if you don't.

---

It's you that don't know what you're talking about. Being a Trump apologist is no excuse for misrepresenting the facts.

Fact check: Trump brags to troops about 10 percent pay raise he didn't actually give them

The president also got it very wrong when he claimed during his trip to Iraq that service members haven't had a wage hike in 10 years.
https://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newsc...7.fit-760w.jpg
President Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to al-Asad Airbase in Iraq on Dec. 26, 2018.Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Dec. 27, 2018 / 10:28 AM EST / Updated Dec. 27, 2018 / 2:00 PM EST
By Jane C. Timm

President Donald Trump told American troops in Iraq that he had given them a 10 percent raise, and that it was their first pay hike in a decade — but he didn't, and it wasn't.

"You just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received," Trump said in remarks at al-Asad Airbase during his surprise trip to Iraq on Wednesday, drawing cheers from the troops. "You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years — more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one."

Troops will receive a 2.6 percent — not 10 percent — pay hike for 2019; they got a 2.4 percent pay hike in 2018.

What's more, American troops have received a pay hike every year for decades. 2019's raise is the largest in nine years.

https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC...484;7;70;5.JPG

https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC...428;7;70;5.JPG



Military pay raises are tied to increases in private-sector wages, as calculated by the Department of Labor. Congress can also enact raises that exceed that rate, as well.

Trump insisted that he personally had fought for this raise, because the troops put their lives on the line.
"They said: 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.' I said: 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,'" Trump told the troops. "Because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations."

The remarks came during the president's first trip to troops stationed in a combat zone, days after he announced he'd withdraw the U.S. from foreign wars in Syria and Afghanistan.

"No force in history has done more for the cause of justice and peace," Trump told the service members. "We are always going to protect you. And you just saw that because you just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received."

Basic pay for active duty soldiers can range from $19,659 for a new private to $38,059 for a staff sergeant with six years experience, according to Army recruiting materials.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., spoke out against the president's remark on Thursday.

"We should never get used to the president not being straightforward and not telling the truth," he said on MSNBC. "The pay raise statements were not factually accurate. The president should know better than that. We should never sort of get used to this president with his looseness on the facts."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...-raise-n952336

DemoQuack Propaganda!!! It's obvously been a long time since you've ever worked for a private company wherr no one considers their cost of living increase a "raise". Only when a merit increase that raises the total rate is issued does anyone consider it a "raise". This stupid made up dispute manufactured by the media plays on the ignorance and biases of its readers and viewers misinforming those who don't know the difference all the way down the line.

Will it matter? No, not one bit. When someone in the administration considers it worthy of follow-up, they will explain it to you.

And it will probably be Donald J Trump himself at a big ole filled to the rafters Rally.

Trump said what he said and there is no excuse for it ...... no matter how hard you try to offer one up. There are numerous direct quotes of what he said being reported. In an effort to defend him, you frequently attempt to spin his words or alter their meaning. Sorry, that just won't work this time.

Trump bragged to troops about 10 percent pay raise that they have not received

BY MORGAN GSTALTER - 12/27/18 01:51 PM EST 1,003

President Trump on Wednesday bragged to troops in Iraq that he had given them a 10 percent pay raise, calling it “one of the largest pay raises” the troops have ever received and calling it the first hike in more than a decade.

The troops will actually receive a 2.6 percent raise in 2019, not 10 percent, and the Pentagon has enacted raises of at least 1 percent every year for the past decade, according to Defense Department figures.

"You just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received," Trump said while speaking at Al Asad Airbase near Baghdad in his first trip to a combat zone as president. "You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years — more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one."

The 2.6 percent increase for 2019 was included in the $716 billion national defense fund included in the White House’s version of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Trump made the surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday and told the troops that he personally vouched for the pay raise.

"They said: 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.' I said: 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,' " Trump told the troops. "Because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations."

He told the service members that “no force in history” has done more for peace and justice.
"We are always going to protect you. And you just saw that because you just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received,” Trump continued.

The troops received a 2.4 percent pay raise in 2018.

According to the Army website, basic pay for soldiers ranged from $19,659 to $38,059 this year.

This is not the first time that the president has made inaccurate statements about military pay.

At an event in May, he also made the claim that the military had not seen pay raises in more than 10 years.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/423013-trump-bragged-about-10-percent-pay-raise-he-didnt-give-to-troops

LOL!! I've just actually worked for living my whole life, and know the difference between a COLA and a raise. These troops do, too, and that's all that matters.

It's also what the Congress and Paul Ryan have been calling it since August 13, 2018.


Paul Ryan
‏Verified account @SpeakerRyan

With @POTUS’s signature, the #NDAA is now law:
✔ Biggest pay raise for our troops in 9 years
✔ Increased funding for training & equipment
✔ Reforms the Pentagon
✔ Provides resources for global counterterrorism efforts

This is a promise kept to our men and women in uniform.
12:26 PM - 13 Aug 2018

https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/stat...F291-584075535

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

LOL!! I've just actually worked for living my whole life, and know the difference between a COLA and a raise. These troops do, too, and that's all that matters.

It's also what the Congress and Paul Ryan have been calling it since August 13, 2018.


Paul Ryan
‏Verified account @SpeakerRyan

With @POTUS’s signature, the #NDAA is now law:
✔ Biggest pay raise for our troops in 9 years
✔ Increased funding for training & equipment
✔ Reforms the Pentagon
✔ Provides resources for global counterterrorism efforts

This is a promise kept to our men and women in uniform.
12:26 PM - 13 Aug 2018

https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/stat...F291-584075535

---

:roll:

Funny how you ignored this: "They said: 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.' I said: 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,'" Trump told the troops. "Because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations."

The whole discussion here is that President Trump lied and said he gave the troops a 10% pay raise.

Doesn't spinning like a top make you dizzy? :lol:

No, only people who don't know what the topic of conversation is think that. The discussion is not the amount of the pay raise with respect to their salaries, it's the raise with respect to the percentage increase. The % was raised 10%, not their salaries, it's called the rate of increase, and rate of change with respect to that increase. That's the term on labor, that the term on gdp, that's the term on interest rates, everything that's related to a rate of increase, is an increase in the rate, the multiplier (COLA %), which is the rate of change, another term, for how much the rate is changing, not the underlying multiplicand (salary).

For example:

COLA increase = 2%

10% rate of change for raise increase = .2%

Total increase = 2.2%

It's so simple. Only DemoQuack Propaganda can complicate simple math. DemoQuacks are hideous and dangerous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

No, only people who don't know what the topic of conversation is think that. The discussion is not the amount of the pay raise with respect to their salaries, it's the raise with respect to the percentage increase. The % was raised 10%, not their salaries, it's called the rate of increase, and rate of change with respect to that increase. That's the term on labor, that the term on gdp, that's the term on interest rates, everything that's related to a rate of increase, is an increase in the rate, the multiplier (COLA %), which is the rate of change, another term, for how much the rate is changing, not the underlying multiplicand (salary).

For example:

COLA increase = 2%

10% rate of change for raise increase = .2%

Total increase = 2.2%

It's so simple. Only DemoQuack Propaganda can complicate simple math. DemoQuacks are hideous and dangerous.

---

You don't get a free pass to obfuscate his actual words. He said what he said and you need to accept that. Yep, he inserted his foot in his mouth again.

Trump Brags To Troops About A Fictional Giant Pay Raise He Got Them

The president told military personnel in Iraq that they’ll get a raise of over 10 percent, their first in a decade. But it’s 2.6 percent, and they get a hike every year.

https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset...eg?ops=100_100
By Dave Jamieson



During his first visit to a combat zone since assuming office nearly two years ago, President Donald Trump couldn’t help but take personal credit for a very generous and fictional pay raise for U.S. troops.

The president told service members at al-Asad air base in Iraq that he was proud to secure them a much-needed pay bump of “more than 10 percent” after years of stagnant wages. Many of the troops in attendance may have been surprised to learn they hadn’t seen a pay increase in more than a decade.

“Is anybody here willing to give up the big pay raise you just got?” Trump said, asking for a show of hands. “You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years. More than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. I got you a big one.”

In fact, military members have seen a pay raise in each of the last 10 years, ranging from 1 percent to 3.9 percent, according to the Defense Department. They even saw pay bumps when other federal workers were subjected to a three-year pay freeze in the wake of the Great Recession.

The pay increase for 2019 passed by Congress and signed by the president in August will be 2.6 percent, the largest since 2010. It is not far above last year’s raise for troops, which was 2.4 percent.

Trump told the troops that other people wanted their raise to be smaller, but he fought for a double-digit boost.

“We had plenty of people that came up. They said, ‘You know, we can make it smaller. We can make it 3 percent. We can make it 2 percent. We can make it 4 percent.’ I said, ‘No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent.’”

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...HoZ_normal.pngBill Kristol
✔@BillKristol

Trump to the troops in Iraq:
"You haven’t gotten [a raise] in more than ten years. More than ten years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one....I said no. Make it ten percent. Make it more than ten percent. Because it’s been a long time."
Just FYI, none of this is true.

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The falsehood about military pay raises may be turning into a theme for Trump. As Politifact reported in May, the president claimed that the last pay increase, for fiscal year 2018, was also the “first time in 10 years.” On Wednesday, Trump used the phrase “in more than 10 years” four times.

The fact-checking site noted that the last single year without a military pay raise was 1983, and that was only because the date of the raise was shifted from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1.

Trump headed to Iraq late on Christmas night to make his surprise appearance in front of the troops. Until now, Trump has preferred to speak to troops via teleconference from the White House or his Florida country club.

As HuffPost previously reported, Trump’s factual inaccuracies Wednesday were hardly the first he’s uttered about the military. Trump has claimed the military budget he signed was the biggest ever ― it isn’t ― and he’s taken credit for passing a law that allows veterans to use private doctors if they can’t get quick care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. That law was actually signed by Barack Obama.


https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0407e907fbc2b

Why do you post DemoQuack Propaganda!!! Why do you want to immerse yourself in this is beyond me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Why do you post DemoQuack Propaganda!!! Why you want to immerse yourself in this is beyond me.

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Regardless of the source, the truth remains the truth.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MW

Regardless of the source, the truth remains the truth.

---

In my opinion, you wouldn't know, understand or even recognize the "truth" if it smacked you in the face.

Just my opinion based on your posts.

Trump told two ‘flagrant lies’ to American troops’ faces about the pay raise he said he gave them

26 DEC 2018 AT 18:01 ET


https://www.rawstory.com/wp-content/...-1-800x430.jpgPresident Donald Trump and Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command Commander, meet with service members at MacDill, AFB, FL, Feb. 6, 2017. (DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen/Released)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!


During his surprise visit to troops deployed in Iraq, President Donald Trumpappeared to tell two large fibs to service members about their pay — and it wasn’t the first time he’d done so.

ABC News producer and reporter Ali Rogin noted on Twitter Wednesday that the president told “two flagrant lies in a row” during the hour-long speech.

“He said the US military got its first pay raise in 10 years,” Rogin wrote before linking to a May PolitiFact analysis from the first time the president made the claim that found the lie “Pants on Fire” egregious.

“You haven’t gotten [a raise] in more than ten years,” Trump told troops. “More than ten years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one.”

The ABC News producer noted, however, that “the military has received a pay increase each year except for [1983] and that was a technical glitch.”

Rogin added that Trump also “said he raised the military’s pay by ten percent” — another lie given that military pay was raised 2.8 percent in 2018 and another 2.6 percent in the August National Defense Authorization Act.

“You had plenty of people that came up and said, you know, we can make it smaller,” the president said. “I said no. Make it ten percent. Make it more than ten percent. Because it’s been a long time.”

“Both those quotes are lies that the president has been called out on before,” Rogin concluded.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...pRx_normal.jpgAli Rogin
✔@AliABCNews

· Dec 26, 2018

Replying to @AliABCNews
Trump then makes two flagrant lies in a row: 1) He said the US military got its first pay raise in 10 years. FACT: The military has received a pay increase each year except for '83 and that was a technical glitch. @PolitiFact rated it Pants on Fire. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/may/10/donald-trump/did-donald-trump-sign-first-military-pay-raise-10-/ …
https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/10758...g&name=120x120


Did Donald Trump sign the first military pay raise in 10 years?

President Donald Trump opened up the White House for a celebration of military mothers and spouses. At the May 9 gathering, Trump signed an executive order to increase federal-agency hiring of...
politifact.com



https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...pRx_normal.jpgAli Rogin

✔@AliABCNews

Then 2) He said he raised the military's pay by ten percent. FACT: It was raised 2.8% in 2018 and another 2.6% in the current NDAA.

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https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...pRx_normal.jpgAli Rogin
✔@AliABCNews

· Dec 26, 2018

Replying to @AliABCNews
Here are the quotes from his speech in Iraq: "You haven’t gotten [a raise] in more than ten years. More than ten years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one."

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...pRx_normal.jpgAli Rogin
✔@AliABCNews

And --
"You had plenty of people that came up and said, you know, we can make it smaller. ...I said no. Make it ten percent. Make it more than ten percent. Because it’s been a long time."

Both those quotes are lies that the president has been called out on before.


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https://www.rawstory.com/2018/12/tru...ise-said-gave/

LOL!! You're embedded. Your hate has you in their web like a stuck fly. It's so bad it's actually funny. Pathetic, but funny, too. SAD!!

Trump visits troops in Iraq — good. Trump lies to troops — bad

EJ Montini, Arizona Republic Published 9:12 a.m. MT Dec. 28, 2018 | Updated 1:13 p.m. MT Dec. 28, 2018

Opinion: It was more of a campaign rally than an expression of gratitude. Which was to be expected.


https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2...unds&auto=webp
(Photo: Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images)

It’s a good thing whenever the president visits troops overseas. So it was a good thing when President Donald Trump flew to an air base in Iraq the day after Christmas.

It wasn’t so good that Trump treated the event like a campaign stop rather than an expression of a nation’s gratitude, trashing Democrats and speaking politically, or that military commanders allowed personnel to act like political partisans with their MAGA hats and a Trump campaign banner.

The rules of the Department of Defense explicitly state that military personnel are permitted to fully express their political opinions when OUT of uniform. On the other hand, department rules say: “Active duty personnel may not engage in partisan political activities and all military personnel should avoid the inference that their political activities imply or appear to imply DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of a political candidate, campaign, or cause.”

Shouldn't the brass know better?

Maybe some of the troops didn’t understand the rules.
But their commanders?

And wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, Trump know that the military is NOT political?

Troops asking President Trump to autograph MAGA hats might be violating the Department of Defense's stance on politics. Veuer's Justin Kircher has more. Buzz60

Likewise, Trump must have known he was making false statements when he claimed that he’s giving military personnel a raise of “more than 10 percent” and that they hadn’t gotten raises in a decade.

The president said, "... you just got one of the biggest pay raises you’ve ever received ... You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years – more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. I got you a big one.

"They had plenty of people that came up. They said, ‘You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.’ I said, ‘No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent.’ Because it’s been a long time. It’s been more than 10 years. It’s been more than 10 years."

Nope, not that big of a raise. And ...

The fact-checking website PolitiFact gave that claim its worst rating, “Pants on Fire.” It also pointed out, as have others, that this wasn’t the first time Trump has spoken inaccurately about military pay raises.

PolitiFact wrote:

“On his first trip to a war zone as president, Trump told service members that he got them ‘one of the largest’ pay increases ever and said they hadn’t received a raise in over 10 years.

“That’s wrong. Service members have received pay increases every year, as mandated by federal law, for over three decades and the 2019 increase is set at 2.6 percent.

Blowing his own horn, blowing smoke

"Even if Trump meant that members hadn’t received that large of a raise in over a decade, that would also be false. The increase is exceeded by raises in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

“We rate this claim Pants on Fire.”

I wonder what the troops in the MAGA hats think about a commander in chief who travels all that way to blow his own horn and then to blow smoke.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opin...ay/2429871002/

Just more Rude, Nasty, False and Petty DemoQuack Propaganda.

By the way, it all ..... fizzled.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Just more Rude, Nasty, False and Petty DemoQuack Propaganda.

By the way, it all ..... fizzled.

---

All news is eventually replaced but this hasn't been completely knocked off the table yet because it's still being talked about and you're the first person to call it false. It was discussed on Fox just today and all three of the pundits were disappointed to hear Trump make such inaccurate comments. Even though each of them were Trump supporters, they didn't even bother trying to defend it.

Seems Trump also lied to military spouses back in May:

https://shareblue.com/wp-content/upl...le-5-11-18.png

MSNBC

Stephanie Ruhle rips Trump for his ‘100 percent lie’ to military spouses

By
Eric Boehlert -

May 11, 20180 Comments
9019


Trump will lie to anybody, anywhere — even military spouses, during Military Spouse Appreciation Day, at the White House.

It takes a special kind of craven person to lie to the those married to U.S. military members about giving their spouses their first pay raise “in 10 years.” But that’s exactly what Trump did this week.

On Friday, MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle denounced Trump’s pathological behavior.

“For those who say we don’t call the White House out, this is 100 percent a lie told by our president,” Ruhle announced.


The ugly incident unfolded inside the White House during a reception that featured a group of virtually all-white women, even though nearly half of today’s U.S. military is made up of non-white members. There, Trump lied repeatedly about how he had single-handedly improved pay for service members.

Referencing his recent signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018, Trump bragged, “I know you don’t care about this, but that also includes raises for our military — first time in 10 years.”

Moments later he insisted, “That is why, earlier this year, I was proud to sign that big pay raise that I’ve already spoken about. And I am proud of it. And I guess there will be others, too. Would you like one sooner, or do you want to wait another 10 years?”

The clear implication of the hideous lie was that during President Barack Obama’s two terms in office, U.S. military members were ignored and had to suffer through a decade of static pay.

But that’s not how any of this works.

By law, the military receives at least a 1 percent pay increase every year. And that has been true for the last three decades.

The most recent pay increase will be 2.4 percent. During 2009 and 2010, when Obama was president, military members received 3.9 and 3.4 percent raises, respectively.

Trump has already logged more than 3,000 lies since taking office, according to the Washington Post Fact Checker, and he clearly couldn’t care less about adding to that tally. Even if that means manufacturing falsehoods to try to impress military spouses.

As Ruhle said, “No, thank you, Mr. President, for the lie.”

https://shareblue.com/stephanie-ruhle-trump-lie-100-percent-military-spouses/

Well, the whole story about the military pay raises still isn't out there. As I understand it, DOD (Mattis) didn't propose these pay raise increases, and thus they weren't in the Trump Budget proposals to Congress. It was Republicans in Congress who wanted to increase the pay of our military, they went to Trump and asked him what he would agree to and he basically said whatever you can do, I will sign, 2%, 4%, 6%, 10%, whatever, I'll sign it. The question on the table was how much to raise the rate.

The total rate increase in 2018 was 2.4% and 2.6% for 2019.

What Obamaites and DemoQuacks don't understand about their "Truth Lies" Propaganda strategy against Trump is every time they print or broadcast the story about Trump Lies, they print or broadcast the story of what he's accomplished. These two raises with hopefully more to come next year, and the year after that, are important to our military, just as any additional income and pay raise is important to anyone. American taxpayers work very hard to earn the income to pay the taxes to pay for higher pay and more benefits which were also included in this package but of course they couldn't find a "Trump Lie" about it so they haven't reported on it, so this is all good stuff that the public should know about and be proud of.

If calling 9 years 10 years gets the story out, so be it. Did Trump do it intentionally? Who knows, did they tell him "it's been almost 10 years" and he drops the "almost", or in his mind is 8 and 9 years close enough to a decade to call it 10 and go with it? Who knows, all I know is everyone is going to remember that Donald Trump raised military pay and benefits 2 years in a row in the first 2 years of his Presidency and they were biggest increases in many years.

And that's a win for our military. Republicans in Congress are actually the ones responsible. They are the "they" who came to Trump and asked to do the increases. And even though Trump gave them the "they" credit, the MSM didn't cover it. This Republican Congress has been one of the best Republican Congresses of my lifetime. I think what made that possible was Donald Trump being the best Republican President we've had in my lifetime. It's a tragedy for our country and citizens that Republicans lost the US House of Representatives and to end this Congress with both a loss of the US House of Representatives and a government shutdown is like pouring car grease all over your Christmas Dinner and then wailing "where's my dinner?"

Trump’s Christmas visit to the troops was not the coup he was hoping for

The president finally made it out to a war zone, only to prove that he didn't know much about it.


D. PARVAZDEC 27, 2018, 11:12 AM


In the shadow of the government shutdown and news that yet another migrant child had died in U.S. custody, President Donald Trump made his first visit to a war zone on Wednesday.

Along with First Lady Melania Trump, the president, who has been in office for nearly two years now, spent over three hours Iraq, visiting at the al-Asad air base just outside the capital of Baghdad.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...6Ji_normal.jpgU.S. Dept of Defense
✔@DeptofDefense


. @POTUS Donald J. Trump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump made a surprise visit to U.S. #ServiceMembers at Al Asad Air Base outside #Baghdad, #Iraq. See more: https://go.usa.gov/xErUy


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6:59 PM - Dec 26, 2018

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This could have been a smart <acronym title="Google Page Ranking"><acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym></acronym> move, were it not for the fact that the president seems to have miscalculated a few significant factors.

To start with, he failed to coordinate and meet with any Iraqi leaders. Instead, he had a brief phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who has been invited to visit the White House next month.
Indeed, the president’s “surprise” visit was seen as an insult by Iraqi lawmakers, who saw it as a threat to their sovereignty. Following the president’s visit, a bipartisan statement came out of Iraq’s parliament calling for a vote to kick out U.S. troops.

“Parliament must clearly and urgently express its view about the ongoing American violations of Iraqi sovereignty,” said one lawmaker, Salam al-Shimiri.

President Trump told troops that the United States would keep them in Iraq to keep an eye on Iran (which has very close ties with Iraq) and to possibly use Iraq “as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria.”
What that “something” might be is remains a mystery, given that the president last week went against the advice of his (now departing) Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and announced that the United States would be pulling out of Syria.

President Trump also revealed the location of a Navy Seal team when he posted a tweet that revealed the location of the team (so much for op-sec!):


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https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...00m_normal.jpgDonald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

.@FLOTUS Melania and I were honored to visit our incredible troops at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.!

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3:35 PM - Dec 26, 2018

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The president, who himself never served in the military (he got out of serving in Vietnam over having bone spurs in his feet, reportedly after his father got a podiatrist to fake that diagnosis), had avoided visiting a war zone up until now.

A White House official told The Washington Post in November that the president has “never been interested in going.”

“He’s afraid of those situations. He’s afraid people want to kill him,” said the source. So one can imagine how bad things must have been for the president to reconsider.

While on the one hand thrilling the troops by finally recognizing their work, he also implied that Americans had been “suckers” up until now (but no longer under his presidency!) and boasted that he’d gotten them a “big pay raise,” claiming that it was their first in a decade.

Trump claimed he didn’t know the country’s top anti-ISIS official — who just quit

This of course, was not true. The military gets a pay raise every year, somewhere between 1 and 2.9 percent. Under President Trump, the troops got a 2.4 percent raise in 2018 and will get a 2.6 percent bump in 2019 — both solid numbers. And yet, he felt compelled to exaggerate this for some reason.

“They said, ‘You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent,’ I said, ‘No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,'” said the president, noting that it’s been over a decade (well, nearly 16 years, actually, but who’s counting) since the United States started fighting in Iraq.

“It’s been more than 10 years. That’s a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations,” he told troops who probably knew they weren’t going to get a 10 percent raise.

https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-christmas-visit-to-the-troops-was-not-the-<acronym title="Google Page Ranking"><acronym title="Google Page Ranking">pr</acronym></acronym>-coup-he-was-hoping-for-a733edce156e/

Even in Iraq, Trump can’t bring himself to tell the troops the truth

12/27/18 08:00 AM

By Steve Benen

But as part of his pitch, Trump repeated a claim he must know isn’t true.

“You just saw that because you just got one of the biggest pay raises you’ve ever received…. It’s great. You know what? Nobody deserves it more. You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years – more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. I got you a big one.


“They had plenty of people that came up. They said, ‘You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.’ I said, ‘No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent.’ Because it’s been a long time. It’s been more than 10 years. It’s been more than 10 years. That’s a long time. And, you know, you really put yourselves out there, and you put your lives out there. So congratulations.”

It’s one thing for the president to peddle this lie at pre-election campaign rallies, but it’s worse when he travels halfway around the world to lie to the troops’ faces.

First, as regular readers know, it’s absurd to think U.S. troops haven’t received pay raises in “more than 10 years.” In reality, there were raises for our military in 2017. And 2016. And 2015 and 2014. And every other year of the Obama era. And every year of the Bush era. And every year of the Clinton era.

In fact, the military has gotten a raise practically every year since the end of World War II. It’s the sort of detail a Commander in Chief must be aware of.

Second, the latest pay increase for servicemen and women is 2.6%. Trump, in his boasts, nearly quadrupled that number, apparently hoping the troops wouldn’t notice the difference.

And third, he described a debate with policymakers who wanted smaller raises, but that conversation did not occur in reality.

The president has been called out for lying about this before, but Trump doesn’t seem to care.

E.J. Dionne noted on the show last night that there’s supposed to be “something sacred about the obligation of a commander in chief to our troops,” and part of that obligation is honesty.

It’s a responsibility to which Donald Trump too often appears indifferent.


http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/even-iraq-trump-cant-bring-himself-tell-the-troops-the-truth

Hey, with Republicans posting DemoQuack Propaganda and arguing for the opposition the way MW does, I sure hope Republicans don't wonder why Republicans lost the mid-term elections in the US House of Representatives.

Why would a Republican do this? It's so weird.

Trump lied to troops during Iraq visit: Darcy cartoon

Updated 7:01 AM; Posted 7:00 AM
https://image.cleveland.com/home/cle...ae65f66fdc.jpg
During a surprise visit to Iraq, President Trump falsely bragged to troops that he had gotten them a 10% pay increase, over objections, and that it was their first increase it ten years.

By Jeff Darcy, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- President Trump decided to end the year by shutting down the government and lying to troops during his first visit to a combat zone.

During a surprise visit to Iraq, 'Deferment Donald' falsely bragged to troops that he had gotten them a 10 percent pay raise, and that it was their first increase in ten years.

"You protect us. We are always going to protect you. And you just saw that, 'cause you just got one of the biggest pay raises you ever received...You haven't gotten one in more than 10 years. More than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. I got you a big one."

"They had plenty of people that came up, they said, 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3%, we could make it 2%, we could make it 4%. I said 'No. Make it 10%. Make it more than 10%. 'Cause it's been a long time, it's been more than 10 years. Been more than 10 years, that's a long time."

It's been a really long time since Trump told the truth. The truth is the military has gotten a yearly pay increase for more than three decades. They received 2.4% increase in 2018. Under the National Defense Authorization Act, troops will receive a 2.6% increase in 2019.

On the heels of Trump's visit to Iraq, came news casting more doubt on Trump's claim of having bone spurs in his feet, which was the basis of the multiple deferments he received from serving in the Vietnam war.

The daughters of the podiatrist who diagnosed Trump with bone spurs, told The New York Times their father only made the diagnoses as a favor to Fred Trump, Donald's dad.

Dr. Larry Braunstein's medical office was in a Queens building owned by Fred Trump. "If there was anything wrong in the building, my dad would call and (Fred) Trump would take care of it immediately," Elysa Braunstein told the NYT.

U.S. troops do deserve a 10% pay increase. Government workers also deserve not to miss a paycheck because of the Trump-Limbaugh-Coulter government shutdown. All government workers, military and civilian, also deserve a Commander-in-Chief who doesn't constantly lie.

https://www.cleveland.com/darcy/inde...in_iraq_d.html

Oh, who cares? No one cared that Bush and the CIA lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, why do you care about whether a raise was 10% or something else when it was the biggest raise in 9 years?

Normal people just go, he got 'em the biggest raise in 9 years, so what's the problem?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Oh, who cares? No one cared that Bush and the CIA lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, why do you care about whether a raise was 10% or something else when it was the biggest raise in 9 years?

Normal people just go, he got 'em the biggest raise in 9 years, so what's the problem?

---

The issue isn't the raise, it's the lies he told to our troops in Iraq. Unfortunately Trump went so in-depth in his lies that he made it impossible to later simply say he misspoke. When Trump is weak, uninformed, or misinformed on a specific subject, it's best he just keep his mouth shut. If this was a rare thing, it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal. However, Trump regularly lies, obfuscates, and misdirects. That's just not the kind of behavior that is expected from the President of the United States.

Oh, and yes there were WMDs (chemical weapons) in Iraq. Thousands of such weapons of various types were found during Operation Iraqi Freedom. We actually had bomb disposal experts injured by them. Honestly, I find it hard to believe there are still folks like you that believe they never existed. Iraq produced a large amount of chemical weapons during their eight year war with Iran.

Besides all that, it's silly to say Bush lied because that was totally different than the lie Trump told our troops. Actually, numerous foreign intelligence agencies also believed Saddam Hussein had an active WMD program. The intelligence agencies of Germany, Israel, Russia, Britain, China and France all believe Saddam had WMDs. The WMDs were there (old chemical munitions), however, there wasn't an active WMD program at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcUywBFZH6k

We didn't invade Iraq looking for chemical weapons. We invaded Iraq on the lie that Iraq had a nuclear bomb program. Bush lied, Colin Powell lied, the CIA lied, they lied to the UN, they lied to the American People and they lied to the World.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

We didn't invade Iraq looking for chemical weapons. We invaded Iraq on the lie that Iraq had a nuclear bomb program. Bush lied, Colin Powell lied, the CIA lied, they lied to the UN, they lied to the American People and they lied to the World.

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Should have never taken out Sadaam. Should have stayed out of it. As sick as they are, he kept those barbarians in check. That is their culture and their ways and we need to stay out of their business. Bring our troops home and keep those people off our soil until they can have peace amongst themselves and they do it themselves. No more US blood, treasure, aid or oatmeal.

Bush launched this massive war and the domino effect from there and now we are all suffering from the massive millions of people migrating and invading our countries. That man is a NWO traitor and that whole family along with the Clinton crime operation. Then to pay for their week long "funerals" is truly repulsive.

Exactly. We should have never done that. That's another example of where we were misled about a foreign leader, he was probably bad, but Iraq was very successful under his government, the country was secular meaning religion was not a player in government or law, women had rights, Christians had rights, Saddam even contributed money to some of the Christian Churches in Iraq to help them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

We didn't invade Iraq looking for chemical weapons. We invaded Iraq on the lie that Iraq had a nuclear bomb program. Bush lied, Colin Powell lied, the CIA lied, they lied to the UN, they lied to the American People and they lied to the World.

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Chemical weapons are WMDs! Those weapons were there. If you want to ignore the truth and all the other world intelligence agencies that were saying the same thing, that's on you. Bush and everyone else that said WMDs were in Iraq were correct. Besides all that, WMDs weren't the only reason we took out Saddam. Don't just look at the book cover and pretend to know all the answers, open the darn book!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Exactly. We should have never done that. That's another example of where we were misled about a foreign leader, he was probably bad, but Iraq was very successful under his government, the country was secular meaning religion was not a player in government or law, women had rights, Christians had rights, Saddam even contributed money to some of the Christian Churches in Iraq to help them.

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Saddam Hussein, like Bashar al-Assad, was a murderous tyrant that murdered and tortured thousands of his own people. Nobody was mislead about what kind of person Saddam Hussein was! He was a despicable animal and the whole world knew it! To attempt to paint him as anything but what he was is ludicrous.

For the record, I was a proud participant in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. IMO, daddy H.W. Bush should have taken the brutal dictator Saddam out when he invaded Kuwait. We should have marched right into Baghdad and finished the job.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MW

Chemical weapons are WMDs! Those weapons were there. If you want to ignore the truth and all the other world intelligence agencies that were saying the same thing, that's on you. Bush and everyone else that said WMDs were in Iraq were correct. Besides all that, WMDs weren't the only reason we took out Saddam. Don't just look at the book cover and pretend to know all the answers, open the darn book!

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Call them whatever you want. I'm not saying they aren't WMD. What I'm saying is they aren't the reason we invaded Iraq. We invaded Iraq because of the LIE that Iraq was building nuclear weapons.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Call them whatever you want. I'm not saying they aren't WMD. What I'm saying is they aren't the reason we invaded Iraq. We invaded Iraq because of the LIE that Iraq was building nuclear weapons.

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Not true. You must have your wars confused. We attacked Iraq for a number of reasons. The threat of nuclear terror was not the primary reasons. Even in Bush's national address, nuclear terror only received a small mention ..... and that was behind chemical weapon WMDs.

Full text: Bush's speech

A transcript of George Bush's war ultimatum speech from the Cross Hall in the White House

Mon 17 Mar 2003 21.22 ESTFirst published on Mon 17 Mar 2003 21.22 EST

My fellow citizens, events in Iraq have now reached the final days of decision. For more than a decade, the United States and other nations have pursued patient and honorable efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime without war. That regime pledged to reveal and destroy all its weapons of mass destruction as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War in 1991.Since then, the world has engaged in 12 years of diplomacy. We have passed more than a dozen resolutions in the United Nations Security Council. We have sent hundreds of weapons inspectors to oversee the disarmament of Iraq. Our good faith has not been returned.

The Iraqi regime has used diplomacy as a ploy to gain time and advantage. It has uniformly defied Security Council resolutions demanding full disarmament. Over the years, U.N. weapon inspectors have been threatened by Iraqi officials, electronically bugged, and systematically deceived. Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed again and again -- because we are not dealing with peaceful men.

Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq's neighbors and against Iraq's people.

The regime has a history of reckless aggression in the Middle East. It has a deep hatred of America and our friends. And it has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda.

The danger is clear: using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country, or any other.

The United States and other nations did nothing to deserve or invite this threat. But we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward tragedy, we will set a course toward safety. Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed.

The United States of America has the sovereign authority to use force in assuring its own national security. That duty falls to me, as Commander-in-Chief, by the oath I have sworn, by the oath I will keep.

Recognizing the threat to our country, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly last year to support the use of force against Iraq. America tried to work with the United Nations to address this threat because we wanted to resolve the issue peacefully. We believe in the mission of the United Nations. One reason the UN was founded after the second world war was to confront aggressive dictators, actively and early, before they can attack the innocent and destroy the peace.

In the case of Iraq, the Security Council did act, in the early 1990s. Under Resolutions 678 and 687 - both still in effect - the United States and our allies are authorized to use force in ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. This is not a question of authority, it is a question of will.

Last September, I went to the U.N. General Assembly and urged the nations of the world to unite and bring an end to this danger. On November 8, the Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1441, finding Iraq in material breach of its obligations, and vowing serious consequences if Iraq did not fully and immediately disarm.

Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power. For the last four-and-a-half months, the United States and our allies have worked within the Security Council to enforce that Council's long-standing demands. Yet, some permanent members of the Security Council have publicly announced they will veto any resolution that compels the disarmament of Iraq. These governments share our assessment of the danger, but not our resolve to meet it. Many nations, however, do have the resolve and fortitude to act against this threat to peace, and a broad coalition is now gathering to enforce the just demands of the world. The United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we will rise to ours.

In recent days, some governments in the Middle East have been doing their part. They have delivered public and private messages urging the dictator to leave Iraq, so that disarmament can proceed peacefully. He has thus far refused. All the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end. Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing. For their own safety, all foreign nationals - including journalists and inspectors - should leave Iraq immediately.

Many Iraqis can hear me tonight in a translated radio broadcast, and I have a message for them. If we must begin a military campaign, it will be directed against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you. As our coalition takes away their power, we will deliver the food and medicine you need. We will tear down the apparatus of terror and we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free. In a free Iraq, there will be no more wars of aggression against your neighbors, no more poison factories, no more executions of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms. The tyrant will soon be gone. The day of your liberation is near.

It is too late for Saddam Hussein to remain in power. It is not too late for the Iraqi military to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life.

And all Iraqi military and civilian personnel should listen carefully to this warning. In any conflict, your fate will depend on your action. Do not destroy oil wells, a source of wealth that belongs to the Iraqi people. Do not obey any command to use weapons of mass destruction against anyone, including the Iraqi people. War crimes will be prosecuted. War criminals will be punished. And it will be no defense to say, "I was just following orders."

Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war, and every measure will be taken to win it. Americans understand the costs of conflict because we have paid them in the past. War has no certainty, except the certainty of sacrifice.

Yet, the only way to reduce the harm and duration of war is to apply the full force and might of our military, and we are prepared to do so. If Saddam Hussein attempts to cling to power, he will remain a deadly foe until the end. In desperation, he and terrorists groups might try to conduct terrorist operations against the American people and our friends. These attacks are not inevitable. They are, however, possible. And this very fact underscores the reason we cannot live under the threat of blackmail. The terrorist threat to America and the world will be diminished the moment that Saddam Hussein is disarmed.

Our government is on heightened watch against these dangers. Just as we are preparing to ensure victory in Iraq, we are taking further actions to protect our homeland. In recent days, American authorities have expelled from the country certain individuals with ties to Iraqi intelligence services. Among other measures, I have directed additional security of our airports, and increased Coast Guard patrols of major seaports. The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the nation's governors to increase armed security at critical facilities across America.

Should enemies strike our country, they would be attempting to shift our attention with panic and weaken our morale with fear. In this, they would fail. No act of theirs can alter the course or shake the resolve of this country. We are a peaceful people - yet we're not a fragile people, and we will not be intimidated by thugs and killers. If our enemies dare to strike us, they and all who have aided them, will face fearful consequences.

We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater. In one year, or five years, the power of Iraq to inflict harm on all free nations would be multiplied many times over. With these capabilities, Saddam Hussein and his terrorist allies could choose the moment of deadly conflict when they are strongest. We choose to meet that threat now, where it arises, before it can appear suddenly in our skies and cities.

The cause of peace requires all free nations to recognize new and undeniable realities. In the 20th century, some chose to appease murderous dictators, whose threats were allowed to grow into genocide and global war. In this century, when evil men plot chemical, biological and nuclear terror, a policy of appeasement could bring destruction of a kind never before seen on this earth.

Terrorists and terror states do not reveal these threats with fair notice, in formal declarations - and responding to such enemies only after they have struck first is not self-defense, it is suicide. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now.

As we enforce the just demands of the world, we will also honor the deepest commitments of our country. Unlike Saddam Hussein, we believe the Iraqi people are deserving and capable of human liberty. And when the dictator has departed, they can set an example to all the Middle East of a vital and peaceful and self-governing nation.

The United States, with other countries, will work to advance liberty and peace in that region. Our goal will not be achieved overnight, but it can come over time. The power and appeal of human liberty is felt in every life and every land. And the greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace.

That is the future we choose. Free nations have a duty to defend our people by uniting against the violent. And tonight, as we have done before, America and our allies accept that responsibility.

Good night, and may God continue to bless America.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/18/usa.iraq