Former Vice President Dick Cheney had harsh words for the defense cuts proposed by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Monday, calling the measure "absolutely dangerous".
"It’s absolutely dangerous," Cheney said in an interview with Fox News. "The fact of the matter is having a huge impact on the ability of future presidents to deal with future crises that are bound to arise."
Cheney referenced a story from when he was the Secretary of Defense during Operation Desert Storm under President George H.W. Bush:
"After we won, the first thing I did was call President Reagan and thanked him for what he did back in the ‘80s to build that magnificent force for what we did in Desert Storm. I can tell you that there will never be a Secretary of Defense that will thank Barack Obama for what he has done with the military. It’s just devastating."
Hagel’s proposed cuts would reduce the armed forces to the smallest levels since before the Second World War. Cheney noted that such cuts would reduce American military dominance and allow for other nations to fill the void.
"They’re basically making the decision in the Obama administration that they no longer want to be dominant in the seas and skies and space," Cheney said, "And their budget reflects that."
Cheney concluded the President "would much rather spend the money on food stamps than he would a strong military or support for our troops."