AP FACT CHECK: Trump's false statement on military pay

SGT Joseph Cabra - I dont recall any "gleaming reports" about the lower pay raises in the media. I remember the size of the raises was a point of contention during the budget process. The issue was that the sequestration law require an equal amount of cuts from the DOD and non DOD budgets. The republicans made a big show about wanting to give the troops a bigger raise, and wanted to exclude the DOD budget from the sequestration limits. But when the dems said OK, but we also get to exempt social proframs from the limits as well, the republicams screamed no, that would increase the deficit!. (Back when they cared about deficits). So the repubs basically were trying to go around the limits for what they wanted while making the other side keep meeting the limits.

But as I stated in a different post, my issue isnt about the size of the raise at all. The president is flat out lying to the troops and the public about the raises, and that is exactly the type of oversight of government the constitution enshrines with the freedom if the press. When the president lies to the public it is the responsibility of the press to report it. And when they do, that isnt nitpicking or harrassing the president. It is holding him accountable. It's the way our system is designed to work.

SGT Joseph Cabra - Their facts are correct. They didn't lie about it. They did not lie. The facts they reported were correct, unlike Trump's statement which was incorrect. Your claim is false.

Look, I know you love the cheeto Don, but a lie is a lie.

SGT Joseph Cabra - actually, presidents only submit budget requests and thehouse and senate produce and vote on the spending bills. If congress had wanted to approve a largerpay raise theycould have.

SGT Joseph Cabra - from the DFAS fact sheet I posted earlier:

"However, under subsection (e) of this statute, the President can specify an alternative pay adjustment that supersedes the automatic adjustment. Additionally, Congress may pass a law to specify the annual pay raise, superseding the automatic adjustment and/or any presidential adjustment."

Congress could have passed a higher pay raise overriding the presidential adjustment amount if they wanted to. The presidential adjustment amount is put into the administrations budget request that goes to congress, but congress has the final say by passing thespending bills. The president doesnt apply any type of executive privilege to reduce the pay amount aftercongress has passed a higheramount. Once the spending bill is passed the pres can veto it, but cantlower or raise the payamount prior to signing it.

Please see comment by SGM(P) Michael Chavaree ( :

SGT (Join to see) - sure. He's wrong. Take a look at the actual raises compared to the ECI as required by law. Trump did nothing to raise military pay.