Washington, (Asian independent) US President Donald Trump said he will reverse Pentagon’s decision to cut funding to US military’s independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, and cease its publication.
“The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch,” Trump tweeted on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.
“It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!” the president said of the tabloid, which has served American soldiers since the Civil War in 1860s.
In a memo cited by USA TODAY earlier on Friday, the Pentagon ordered the newspaper to cease publication after September 30 and dissolve by the end of January. Earlier this year, the Pentagon moved to cut US $15.5 million in funding for the publication from the defence budget.
Trump’s move came as the White House is facing a firestorm after a report in The Atlantic that, citing unnamed officials, said the president disparaged fallen US service members as “losers” and “suckers.”
Trump vehemently denied the report, calling the unnamed sources making the claim “low-lifes” and “liars.”
