Pence marks Armed Forces Day with vow to rebuild military

Vice President Pence marked Armed Forces Day Saturday by touting the Trump administration’s commitment to “rebuild” the U.S. military.

“I’m just here on President Trump’s behalf, while he’s on the other side of the world, simply to say thank you,” Pence said to a crowd at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

“I want to assure you, President Donald Trump is fighting tirelessly every day, and we will rebuild our military, restore the arsenal of democracy and we will, once again as a nation, give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guard the resources and training you deserve to accomplish your mission and come home safe.”

The vice president also addressed President Trump’s overseas trip, casting it as an effort to reestablish weakened U.S. alliances and reassert American might abroad. 

“At this very moment, President Trump is overseas, renewing America’s role as leader of the free world,” Pence said. “As we speak today, the president is in Saudi Arabia strengthening our alliances across the Arab world.”

Trump met with Saudi officials in Riyadh on Saturday, where he signed a pledge to provide defense support to Saudi Arabia, as well as an almost $110 billion arms sale to the ultra-conservative Muslim country.

Pence’s speech, for the most part, veered far from the political arena, and instead focused on thanking members of the Armed Services. Other lawmakers echoed that message on Saturday.

“Before celebrating @PreaknessStakes & #MarylandDay w/ @Orioles celebrate the men and women of our #ArmedForces for their sacrifice & courage,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) wrote on Twitter.

Before celebrating @PreaknessStakes & #MarylandDay w/ @Orioles celebrate the men and women of our #ArmedForces for their sacrifice & courage

— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) May 20, 2017

“Thank you to all the men and women who serve our nation and protect our freedoms #ArmedForcesDay,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted.

Thank you to all the men and women who serve our nation and protect our freedoms #ArmedForcesDay

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 20, 2017

“Retweet to join me in thanking all of the men and women who serve and protect our country on this #ArmedForcesDay,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wrote.

Retweet to join me in thanking all of the men and women who serve and protect our country on this #ArmedForcesDay. pic.twitter.com/fu2gqghsWS

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 20, 2017