Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill

President Donald Trump vetoed The National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday after it passed through Congress with wide bipartisan support. In a letter to Congress, Trump said he vetoed the $740 billion annual defense spending bill because the bill "includes language that would require the renaming of certain military installations," referring to a measure requiring the renaming of military bases named for Confederate generals. Trump also said it will "restrict the President's ability to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea," and criticized lawmakers’ refusal to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects social media companies from being held liable for content on their platforms. In anticipation of the veto, the House will hold a veto override vote on Dec. 28; if the veto is successful, the Senate will hold a vote the next day. Coverage from the left tended to highlight Republican opposition to the president's veto. Coverage from center- and right-rated outlets tended to highlight Trump's remarks that the bill is a "gift to Russia and China."