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President Donald Trump slammed a report about the United States' readiness for war with China that was co-authored by a general to whom he gave the Medal of Freedom.
Trump delivered remarks to the National Guard on Monday in Michigan, a key battleground state that could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris. He emphasized national security and foreign policy during his remarks, making a significant contrast against Harris, who has seen her polling hold strong after becoming the presidential nominee.
During the address, Trump knocked the Commission on the National Defense Strategy, a report released in July that delivered a warning to the U.S. about its readiness for conflict with China.
"The Commission finds that, in many ways, China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment. Without significant change by the United States, the balance of power will continue to shift in China's favor," the report reads.

Trump criticized the report as "stupid" during his speech, questioning why it was released.
"We do a lot of reports that are stupid reports like a report that came out a couple of weeks ago that we would lose in a war with China. You saw that report? We're not going to lose in a war with China," Trump said.
He continued, "That we would lose in a war with China, how stupid are these people that they would put out a report like that? If you feel we're a little weak, you've got to strengthen it up. But you don't do a report that we're going to lose to China."
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and the RAND Corporation, which provided administrative support for the commission, for comment via email.
Trump gave General Jack Keane, who co-authored the report, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in March 2020, praising his work offering "sage counsel to military and policy leaders." Trump said the general had given him "a lot of good advice too."
"Jack Keane is a visionary, a brilliant strategist, and an American hero. General, you will be remembered as one of the finest and most dedicated soldiers in a long and storied history of the United States military. No question about it," Trump said at the time.
Keane, a retired four-star U.S. Army general who served as vice chief of staff in the Army from 1999 to 2003, has been an adviser to many different politicians, both Democrats and Republicans. He has also appeared on Fox News as a senior strategic analyst.
He warned in January 2023 about the U.S.'s readiness for war during an interview on Fox News.
"The reality is, and what we should focus on, is the fact that we are not as prepared as we should be. We do not have an effective military deterrence in the region. China has more ships, more planes, and more missiles than the United States has," he said, adding that includes "our allies wrapped into that."
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more