Trump’s False Claim That U.S. Military Moving to Electric Tanks
Former President Donald Trump has a new talking point in his rally speeches, claiming that the Biden administration is moving the military to all-electric-powered tanks. For Trump, the attack line is a trifecta: He’s making President Joe Biden seem weak on defense and the military seem “woke,” while mocking Biden’s green energy efforts.
It’s also false. The military currently has no plans for all-electric tanks.
The military is moving toward the electrification of its vehicle fleets, starting with light-duty, non-tactical vehicles, citing not only environmental benefits but cost savings and operational advantages. As part of the military’s Climate Strategy released in 2022, the military also aspires to move to fully electric tactical vehicles by 2050. But even that doesn’t include combat vehicles such as tanks.
Nonetheless, Trump has misleadingly seized on the military’s effort by falsely focusing on the claim that a push to convert most military vehicles to electric would include tanks.
“And now we are a nation that wants to make our great Army tanks all-electric so that despite the fact that they will not be able to go very far, near Miami on Nov. 8 — the same night as a that he did not attend.
