Trump is about to make his use of the military even more secret

President Donald Trump and his Department of Defense are about to shroud their use of the military in even more secrecy, according to Politico, leaving Congress and key allies in the dark.

Per Politico's Thursday report, "for the first time in decades," the Pentagon has halted plans to release the Global Posture Review, which details the placements of U.S. troops around the world. The review, which is traditionally released early on during each new presidential term, is much anticipated by both Congress and allied nations, as it allows them "to determine budgets and discern American military policy."

As Politico noted, the move fits into the second Trump administration's "go-it-alone" strategy and allows it to shroud some of its more controversial military actions in a new level of secrecy.

"The Global Posture Review, which administrations have historically produced early in the term, outlines military priorities and where the Defense Department plans to station assets," Politico explained. "But the department’s decision to buck precedent, which has not been previously reported, underscores the go-it-alone pattern of this White House. Its officials have regularly informed allies and Congress of military actions only after they have occurred — from boat strikes in the Caribbean to attacks on Iran."

“If we don’t have that, it’s certainly not helpful for our work,” Sen. Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, as well as a former naval officer and Senate Armed Services Committee member, told Politico about the news. “I’d be disappointed by that decision.”

Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ripped the administration over the decision not to complete the report, saying that the move "shows that this administration has no plans." Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said that attempting to forge ahead with budget talks with the Global Posture Review would be a dicey prospect.

Officials within NATO also voiced concern to Politico, with one explaining that the report provides a much-needed sense of predictability from the alliance's biggest member.

“The big ask from our side is predictability,” a NATO military official close to the situation told Politico. “We realize that we need to step up and take much more responsibility for our own security, and we are. But we need predictability.”

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