Former President Donald Trump criticized the Democrats and California’s Governor Gavin Newsom for their enthusiastic adoption of electric technology. During a speech at the California GOP convention in Anaheim, aired on Newsmax, Trump ridiculed the notion of an electric military, particularly pointing at the idea of electric tanks.
“They’re obsessed with going all-electric,” Trump commented. “Imagine, an electric tank. How would you charge it in the field? It lacks the required range and power.”
Regarding the emphasis on environmentally friendly military equipment, Trump said that the concept seemed counterintuitive. “War itself isn’t eco-friendly. So, we’re supposed to engage in combat, but with green equipment?” he quipped.
He also took issue with the idea of using eco-friendly fuel for jets, especially if it made them 15% less efficient.
“Our top-of-the-line jets are unmatched in agility,” Trump said, gesturing to simulate their nimbleness. “But there’s a push to use ‘greener’ fuels. So we’d be in a combat situation, causing destruction, but at least we’re eco-friendly? It’s absurd.”
Trump shared that during his presidency, he questioned military officials on the matter.
“They pitched me an ‘eco-friendly’ jet,” he recalled. “I asked, ‘What’s the downside?’ They said it’d be 15% less efficient. That margin can be the difference between success and defeat in an aerial battle.”
