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Retired colonel warns Trump policies are eroding U.S. military strength

Retired astronautical engineer and former colonel Breen Fram told commentator Bill Kristol that President Donald Trump’s actions are undermining the Army’s effectiveness.

Former colonel and astronautical engineer Breen Fram warned Bill Kristol that President Donald Trump’s policies are weakening the U.S. armed forces, describing recent executive orders as attacks on military character. She highlighted the removal of officers who disagree with Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, especially over long-term hormone therapy, as creating a readiness crisis. Fram cited the “Golden Dome” missile-defense proposal and a “Trump-class battleship” as costly, technologically unfeasible projects driven by aesthetics rather than strategy.

She argued that such decisions produce a superficially strong but internally hollow force. The critique was echoed by other conservative figures—Steve Schmidt, Daniel DePetris and Joseph Bosco—who warned that Trump’s approach harms NATO, regional stability and U.S. credibility with allies.

Why it matters

The criticism suggests that current U.S. defense policies may compromise military readiness and international security.

In this story

military readinessexecutive orderGolden DomeTrump-class battleshippolitical purgesdefense policyconservative criticism