This promise was overtaken by new thinking from the Marine Corps itself.
In March 2020, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger unveiled the Marines' new plan for the next decade. Saying "the Marine Corps is not organized, trained, equipped, or postured to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving future," Berger offered a new strategic vision built around a smaller, more mobile force.
The reconfigured Marine Corps would have 21 active infantry battalions, rather than 24. The number of reserve battalions would drop from eight to six. The plan eliminates all seven current tank companies, and sheds 16 cannon artillery batteries, leaving just five.
There is expansion, particularly in the area of long-range precision artillery and missiles.
Trump cited the the Heritage Foundation when announcing the promise during the 2016 campaign. The foundation now "agrees with the Corps' new direction," said Dakota Wood, senior research fellow for defense programs at Heritage.
Wood said the plan reflects the reality that Congress is unlikely to provide enough money to fund the expansion Trump sought in 2016. Heritage, he said, has revised its optimal force from 36 battalions to 30.
Trump's promise has fallen victim to fresh thinking about the sort of Marine Corps the country needs, but the result is that his promise shows no signs of ever being fulfilled.
We rate this Promise Broken.