President Donald Trump appears to be trying to bite the hand attempting to feed his Department of Defense more money to continue the war in Iran, according to two analysts.
Eliot Cohen, professor emeritus of strategy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Eric Edelman, a contributor to The Bulwark, discussed Trump’s recent social media tirade against Robert Karem, a senior aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), during a new episode of “The Shield of the Republic” podcast.
Karem, who previously worked in the Defense Department during Trump’s first term, has been pushing for more funding for his former employer, which Cohen and Edelman noted is reportedly running low on cash reserves because of the war. The analysts noted that McConnell plays a pivotal role in securing funding because he chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“It’s absurd,” said Cohen. “It’s aimed at someone who is trying to remedy the mess that Trump has made of defense funding.”
Earlier in the week, Trump posted on Truth Social that Karem is a “never Trumper” who has been “praised relentlessly by Obama’s people.” He also blamed Karem for convincing McConnell to “stupidly” refuse to support ending the filibuster so Trump can pass more of his legislative priorities.
Part of the problem Trump is facing in securing new funding, according to Cohen and Edelman, is that the Pentagon decided to split defense spending between the base budget and a reconciliation package — a structure that has left lawmakers uncertain about what they are voting to fund.
“Members of Congress don’t know what they’re voting for and whether it’s actually going to the things they’re rightly concerned about,” Cohen said.
“It is really symbolic of the disorder and chaos,” Cohen added. “What’s going on is very serious business.”
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