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Donald Trump gives his acceptance speech on Day 4 of the RNC, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 18. (On Right) A view of an Iron Dome anti-missile battery. (Reuters)
It is not clear what threat Trump is trying to thwart, as Iron Dome is only capable of intercepting short-range rockets
Addressing a star-studded Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Donald Trump on Thursday again pledged to build an Iron Dome missile defense system for the United States akin to the one Israel has.
In his nearly hour-and-a-half-long speech, during which he formally announced his GOP nomination, Trump slammed President Joe Biden, saying he inherited a “world at peace and turned it into a planet of war”.
The 78-year-old issued a stern warning to US adversaries, threatening severe consequences unless American hostages were released before his potential return to the White House after the all-important November election.
Israel and Iron Dome
Referencing the April Iran missile attack on Israel in the wake of the Gaza war, Trump said, “Israel has an Iron Dome. They have a missile defense system. Three-hundred and forty-two missiles were shot into Israel, and only one got through a little bit.”
During his long address, Trump painted a bleak picture of the United States and blamed the Biden administration for inflation, illegal immigration and a series of international crises. The purpose of Trump’s proposed Iron Dome system for the United States is unclear, as it is designed to intercept short-range rockets—a threat not historically faced along US borders.
“Why should other countries have this and we don’t? No, No we’re going to build an Iron Dome over our country and we’re going to be sure that nothing can come and harm our people,” he said. “We will replenish our military, and build an Iron Dome missile defence system to ensure that no enemy can strike our homeland – and this great Iron Dome will all be made in the USA.”
Ukraine and Afghanistan
During his speech, Trump referred to the “chaotic” US withdrawal from Afghanistan that happened in 2021 and led to criticism of Biden over the Taliban’s lightning conquest of the war-torn country.
“Emboldened by that disaster, Russia invaded Ukraine. Israel endured the worst attack in its history. Now China is circling Taiwan,” Trump said, attempting to draw a link between disparate foreign conflicts that directly or indirectly involves the United States.
