Largest US military pay increase

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The largest US military pay increase was a claim made by various Republicans multiple times during the Donald Trump administration. Pretty much every claim they made regarding the pay increases of US troops was a lie.

Claims

In December 2017, Paul Ryan, then Speaker of the House, wrote on Twitter, "Proud to watch as @POTUS signs this legislation into law, giving our men and women in uniform their largest pay raise in 8 years." ([1])

October 2018 on Fox Business, Donald Trump said, "President Obama starved the military. He didn't give them raises, he didn't give them anything. I gave them a 10% pay increase, they haven't had it in a decade." ([2])

In December 2018, Trump told US troops at the al-Asad Airbase, "You just got one of the biggest pay raises you've ever received... You haven't gotten one in more than 10 years — more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. They said: 'You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.' I said: 'No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent,' because it's been a long time. It's been more than 10 years. That's a long time." ([3], [4])

In June 2019, Trump told US troops at the Osan Air Base, "And, you know, one thing I didn't mention: You also got very nice pay raises for the last couple of years. Congratulations. Oh, you care about that. They care about that. I didn't think you noticed. Yeah, you were entitled. You know, it was close to 10 years before you had an increase. Ten years." ([5])

Reality

  • The actual pay raises approved by Trump during his presidency were only 2.1% in 2017, 2.4% in 2018, 2.6% in 2019, and 3.1% in 2020. None was even close to 10%, let alone more than 10%. ([6])
  • The pay raise was nowhere near the biggest the US military has seen, not even in recent years. In fact, the Trump administration's highest military pay increase was only 3.1% in 2020 which was the smallest maximum pay increase of all presidents since 1961. Obama's largest was 3.4% in 2009, George W. Bush 6.9% in 2002, Clinton 4.8% in 2000, H. W. Bush 4.2% in 1992, Reagan 14.3% in 1982, Carter 11.7% in 1981, Ford 5.52% in 1975, Nixon 11.6% in 1972, Johnson 12.6% in 1969, Kennedy 12.6% in 1963. ([7])
  • There wasn't a more-than-10-year lack of raises for US soldiers. Obama signed a pay increase every year of his presidency, and US soldiers have received a pay raise every year since the 1961. ([8])
  • By claiming he argued in favor of giving troops a larger raise, Trump implied that the US president decides the pay raise of US soldiers, they typically do not. Since the beginning of the 1960s, US soldier pay raises are tied to the wage increases of the US private sector as calculated by the Department of Labor through their Employment Cost Index. The bill to increase their salary is written by the US senate; the president merely signs the bill into law. Congress and the president can suggest a different rate, but they almost never do. ([9])
  • However, in 2018, Trump did initially offer a different rate than what was calculated by the Department of Labor, however, he wanted to pay them less, not more. Trump suggested a mere 2.1% increase, not the 2.4% increase as calculated by the Department of Labor. However, the bill written by Congress was for the expected 2.4%, which Trump reluctantly signed. ([10])
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