Donald Trump sounded like a committed noninterventionist in a speech in North Carolina Tuesday night. From VOA News at voanews.com:
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returned Tuesday to his vision of a non-interventionist foreign policy for the United States, saying, as he did during his campaign, that he does not want American forces fighting “in areas that we shouldn’t be fighting in.”
At a “thank you” rally for his supporters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump said his focus instead will be on defeating terrorists, including the Islamic State group.
“We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about, that we shouldn’t be involved with,” Trump said, insisting the United States must end a “destructive cycle of intervention and chaos.”
Fayetteville neighbors the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg, the world’s largest military base, as well as the U.S. Air Force’s Pope Field. Eight military installations dot the state.
Trump pledged to build up the military with the purpose of projecting strength, not aggression.
As a candidate, Trump frequently questioned whether NATO and other allies were pulling their weight. On Tuesday, he said he wanted to strengthen “old friendships” and seek new ones.
At the same rally, Trump formally announced his choice of retired Marine General James Mattis as his nominee for secretary of defense.
“Under his leadership, such an important position, we will rebuild our military and alliances, destroy terrorists, face our enemies head on and make America safe again,” Trump said.
To continue reading: Trump: US Must End ‘Cycle of Intervention and Chaos’
