Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, is challenging President Trump to follow up his executive order to rename the Defense Department the "War Department" with a bigger increase in the Pentagon’s budget to deter threats from China, Russia and other adversaries.

“If we call it the Department of War, we’d better equip the military to actually prevent and win wars. Can’t preserve American primacy if we’re unwilling to spend substantially more on our military than [former Presidents] Carter or Biden,” McConnell said in a post on social platform X.

“‘Peace through strength’ requires investment, not just rebranding,” McConnell said.

McConnell expressed his disappointment with Trump’s defense budget request in May, warning at the time the p

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