For a sitting U.S. president to see our allies as freeloaders is nuts.

There is no room for military people, including our veterans, to see themselves as victims, even if so many of our countrymen are prone to relish that role.

In an interconnected age when opportunistic adversaries can work in tandem to destroy stability and prosperity, our country needs to regain its strategic footing. We need to bring the clarity to our efforts before we lose the confidence of the American people and the support of potential allies.

I would just say there is one misperception of our veterans, and that is they are somehow damaged goods. I don't buy it.

I have never been bewildered for long in any fight with our enemies - I was Armed with Insight.

There's no way that that our military power will not erode if a robust American economic revival is not part of the cards.