President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed a top Marine's opinion about a "big-a** fight" looming overseas, saying his own opinion "counts more," Military Times reported.
During a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Trump was asked by a Norwegian reporter about Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller's speech to troops in Norway last month that was reported by Military.com.
Neller urged troops to be ready for a "big-a** fight" at all times, telling them: "I hope I'm wrong, but there's a war coming," adding, "You're in a fight here, an informational fight, a political fight, by your presence."
Marine Corps officials later explained the speech was meant to inspire rather than predict a specific threat.
"Maybe he knows something I don't know," Trump said when asked about the remark. "We have a powerful military, we're getting more powerful by the day . . . but I don't expect that," adding the U.S. national security strategy is "peace through strength."
"I think we're going to have a long period of peace," he said. "I hope we do. That's my opinion, that's not the general's opinion, but I think mine counts more."
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