I ran the Pentagon under Trump and we need to fight like Reagan

America's defense budget continues to shrink while our adversaries rise in power. I ran the Pentagon but I learned from Ronald Reagan that 'peace through strength' is the way to win.

For example, budget cuts have hampered the rejuvenation of the U.S. Army that I launched in 2018 and that the current administration continued. Despite successfully launching nearly two dozen modernization programs over the past six years, the Army is being forced to stop or slow some critical initiatives.  Dr. Mark T. Esper was the 27th secretary of Defense and 23rd secretary of the Army, and author of the NYT bestselling memoir "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs Of A Secretary Of Defense During Extraordinary Times." 

Indeed, despite the escalating collaboration among the world’s authoritarians, the Defense Department’s budget is on track to reach its lowest ebb in decades. This makes no sense. The White House should match its spending to Biden’s rhetoric, if not to the threats themselves, if it wants the American people, our allies, and — maybe most importantly — our adversaries to take us seriously.