The United States has “underinvested” in its military and its capabilities for some time, and to return it to strength, President Donald Trump must be given the capability to allocate capital efficiently, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told Newsmax’s Carl Higbie in an exclusive interview. 

“I think the real problem, honestly, being involved in this right now, is that we have underinvested in the military and in our capabilities, and the bill for that is now coming due,” Phelan said in the interview, airing Friday on Higbie’s “Frontline” program. “We have to deal with that, and that means we have to be more efficient with how we spend, but we also need to keep the money to keep maintaining the capability.”

Phelan, an investment banker by trade, said there is much to unpack when it comes to questions about shipbuilding and the budget for it, and Trump must be allowed to have the flexibility to allocate the capital. 

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