Remarks by President Trump at Defense Roundtable | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Luke Air Force Base  •  Maricopa County, Arizona  •  October 20, 2018  •  5:07 P.M. MST


President Trump's Defense Roundtable: Above. (White House photo)     Click image to expand.
    THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's great talent around this beautiful room. And thank you all for being here. By the way, the head of Boeing and the head of Lockheed, and the head of Raytheon and the head of everything else, we have them all. We have them all around. So thank you all for being here. It's an honor.

    I want to thank General Todd Canterbury for the tour. That's pretty lethal weaponry. I've been going around the last week or so, more so than ever - I've been saying we make the greatest - the greatest military equipment in the world. Not even a contest. There's nothing close. And every other country knows it. And, you know, we're talking about something right now, where a particular country ordered - you'll never guess who this is - about $110 billion worth of equipment. And I assume you'd like to keep those orders probably. (Laughter.)

    PARTICIPANT: Yes, sir.

    THE PRESIDENT: But if you don't - Boeing, Dennis - you can let me know. (Laughter.) It'll make things a lot easier. But you make the best, and that's why you have it.

    Also, Luke Air Force Base - I've heard about it for so long; so good. Top of the line, isn't it? Huh? Thank you very much, General.

    I also want to thank our roundtable participants today: Secretary Wilbur Ross, doing a great job. All those trade deals we're making, Wilbur. Right? Representative Martha McSally, who is a special woman. And I met her when she was in Congress, and we work together well. She's a great pilot. A lot of people told me she's really a talented pilot as opposed to one that just about made it. She made it easily. And she likes a specific plane; we won't tell them what the plane is. (Laughter.) They don't make that plane anymore.

    REPRESENTATIVE MCSALLY: (Inaudible.)

    THE PRESIDENT: That's right. But she's been fantastic.

    Also, Representative Tom O'Halleran, thank you very much. Where's Tom? Tom? What are you doing over there, Tom? You can join us, even though you're a Democrat. (Laughter.) Representative Debbie Lesko. And, Debbie, a great job you've done. You've done a great job. We worked hard a couple years ago -

    REPRESENTATIVE LESKO: We did.

    THE PRESIDENT: And now your district loves you, right?

    REPRESENTATIVE LESKO: I sure hope so.

    THE PRESIDENT: They better.

    REPRESENTATIVE LESKO: More elections in one year, I'll tell you.

    THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, that's true. You set a record.

    REPRESENTATIVE LESKO: Well, welcome to my district.

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. It's great to be here. Thank you.

    Also, Secretary - Deputy Secretary Patrick Shanahan. And, Patrick, thanks. Great job you - he's a good purchaser of equipment. I hope you find that he negotiates well, because if he doesn't, I'm going to be very disappointed. What do you think, Dennis? Is he okay?

    MR. MUILENBURG: He's tough.


    THE PRESIDENT: Huh?

    MR. MUILENBURG: He's tough. He's good.

    THE PRESIDENT: I would expect you to say that. (Laughter.) Dennis is Boeing.

    So thank you very much, Patrick. And it's been great working with you. And we have - we've made some big purchases, some good deals. A little bit better than presented. And it's the best. There's nothing like the stuff.

    Secretary Heather Wilson - Heather, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you. Great job you're doing. Under Secretary Ellen Lord, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Ellen. You're keeping busy, right?

    UNDER SECRETARY LORD: Absolutely.

    THE PRESIDENT: Good. I think so. And all of the outstanding representatives who join us today from America's aerospace and defense industries, civil society. I mean, if you look at the civil society and the business society, it's been pretty amazing what's happened over the last two years. And you're all doing well, and we're doing well. The country is doing well. We're setting new records on jobs. We've got every category - just about every category is a new record, or very close. And a lot of them work for you. A lot of them work for your great companies. And they are great companies. Thank you very much.

    This incredible state is home to six major military installations, more than 30,000 military personnel, and thousands of defense companies. Arizona's military industry supports 76,000 jobs - that's big - and creates $11.5 billion in economic output.

    So what state would be comparable or larger? Is it larger? I mean, Texas does great.

    REPRESENTATIVE MCSALLY: I think we're number three. I think we're number three on the list.

    THE PRESIDENT: Number three? All right. But knowing you, you'll be -

    REPRESENTATIVE MCSALLY: (Inaudible.)

    THE PRESIDENT: She'll be number one very quickly. That's why she's doing so well. They all know.


    The United States must always invest in a strong military. And it's been very important for me. The military has been vital. That's why we had, Wilbur, $700 billion approved last year, and $716 billion this year. And, General, everybody that passes me, from the military, thanks me for the new equipment. We were very depleted, and we're not depleted anymore. Although the equipment is pouring in, but we're not depleted anymore. So that's fantastic.

    We've secured record funding for the armed forces. The funds will support new fighter jets, ships, tanks, thousands of new recruits. And we also gave something very important, and that was a pay increase - the first in 10 years. A nice, substantial pay increase to the people that deserve it so badly.

    And one of the things that was very important to me is to totally modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal. And we're doing that. And we will, very shortly, be in a position where there won't be anybody close - not that we ever want to think about using it, but we're not going to use it. The best way, the only way is - that's the way we don't have to use it, right? So we're doing a lot of work on that. And in a very short period of time - already we're superior, but we will be at a level that nobody competes with.

    Earlier this month, we released our landmark Defense Industrial Base report, which outlines new ways to strengthen our defense and manufacturing base. American-made military products are more effective, more lethal, and more precise than any other equipment in the world. And I've been going around saying that. And we have a lot of countries that are dying to order our stuff, but we don't like them that much, so we don't let them order. But overall, Marillyn, I don't think you're complaining, right? And that F-35 is special. That is a special - that's a special fighter, right? It's great.

    So we have to ensure that our warriors - our brave, brave warriors - have the resources that they need and deserve, and that our allies and partners continue to purchase American products. We want them to purchase our products. They're the best products.

    Joining us today are several inspiring leaders who all share my commitment to supporting our military. And they're making America more prosperous, more competitive, secure and proud. And we really do. I mean, I know these people pretty well. I knew them a little bit in private industry. I know them a lot from what I've been doing for the last almost two years. Can you believe that, Dennis? It's almost two years already.

    We just gave him an order for Air Force One. Air Force One now is 30 years old. And it was time. And they wanted to do it for the last two administrations; they never got it done. But we got it done.

    MR. MUILENBURG: Thank you.

    THE PRESIDENT: And hopefully you're going to speed it up. (Laughter.)

    MR. MUILENBURG: Going fast.

    THE PRESIDENT: And it's going to be incredible. Actually, Boeing is doing it. It's going to be a new color system: red, white, and blue. And it looks phenomenal. It's the right color system. And if it looks as good as it does in print and in the models, it's going to be fantastic. Right? So I hope you're moving along. That's moving along very fast, I hear.

    MR. MUILENBURG: Yep. We're moving fast and continuing to focus on getting it delivered.

    THE PRESIDENT: Very good. Very good. So I just want to thank you all for being here.


    And if you have any questions, I'd like - maybe before that, I'd like to introduce Martha McSally, say a few words. She is very special. A person that has taken the whole country by storm. They're talking about her all over the country.

    I don't know - I don't want to make you feel a little bit like, "Oh, gee, what's happening," but they're talking about you all over the country. And I fully understand that, and I got it a long time ago. I think you're going to be very, very successful.

    This is a non-politician who is brilliant and brave, and became a politician, and was very successful. Her area, her district loved her. And now, as you know - as some of you know, she's running for the Senate in Arizona. She has a very, very strange opponent. (Laughter.) I have to tell you, Martha, that should be easy, but you got to get in there fighting, right? Huh?

    REPRESENTATIVE MCSALLY: (Inaudible) capacity.

    THE PRESIDENT: That's right. I know. Official is right. So anyway, please say a few words, Martha. We're very proud of you. Thank you.

    REPRESENTATIVE MCSALLY: Thank you, President Trump. I really appreciate you spending the day here and taking the time to come to Luke Air Force Base. I mean, this base has a long history here in Arizona of being part of keeping our country safe. And we have such tremendous partners here around the community, in the West Valley, that are very committed to making sure that this base is protected and that our airmen are protected. And we've got the Fight Country partnership as well. They're just amazing, the partnership. We've got the same kind of partnership in southern Arizona - the Southern Arizona Defense Alliance here.

    It's just - in Arizona, I can't - I mean, I've been stationed in a lot of different places. But Arizona is special. And I guess everybody might say that, but I really feel that in my heart. Because so many people here have served, so many people came here to serve, or even came here to work at one of these companies. And then they choose to say, like, this is where I want to be, this is where I want to stay, this is where I want to retire.

    But there is this partnership amongst the communities to support our troops and our bases and our defense industry that is really unmatched around the country. And I think everybody nodding here will tell you, it's really special. And I think it sets the example for the rest of the country. And that's everyone from - again, I'm thinking about it; you know, I've shot some of their air missiles and used their rescue equipment. (Laughter.) We could go around the room. I mean, in the defense industry - I don't want to leave anybody out - but they are patriots wearing civilian clothes as well. And many of these industries have chosen to locate here.

    Also, Arizona is a great state, right? It's a great state to live. It's a great state to relocate your family. So all that comes with that has just been so critical for us here in Arizona. And these representations, these leaders who have people who are coming with their families to be a part of the team, which is - they're partnering us to equip the warfighter, to make sure that we keep our country safe.

    So it's not just our military who's doing that. It's the engineers every day that are finding new capabilities for us, that are working at each of these industries. You know, I just visited yesterday - just the idea of, like, "We're going to break through on some these things, and we're going to provide better capabilities to be able to go rescue downed airmen." And the commitment that they have is extraordinary. And that's at every company here.