Trump Again Threatens to Veto the Veto-Proof Defense Spending Bill as GOP-Controlled Senate Makes Plans to Override

President Donald Trump Thursday again threatened to veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a military spending bill that was passed in both chambers with veto-proof majorities. The president has been exceptionally obsessed with vetoing the bill, insisting if he does veto it, China will be “very unhappy.”

I will Veto the Defense Bill, which will make China very unhappy. They love it. Must have Section 230 termination, protect our National Monuments and allow for removal of military from far away, and very unappreciative, lands. Thank you! https://t.co/9rI08S5ofO

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2020

Here’s how CNN’s Jim Sciutto described the Republican-controlled Senate’s vote on the NDAA last week:

New: Senate votes overwhelmingly to approve a sweeping defense bill with a veto-proof majority in a major rebuke to President Trump who has urged Republican opposition and threatened to veto the legislation. The vote was 84 to 13.

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 11, 2020

Trump is demanding lawmakers include an amendment to the legislation to rescind a portion of the Communications Decency Act that protects social media platforms from being held legally liable for content produced and posted by their users. Trump believes if Section 230 is reversed Twitter users won’t be able to publish negative posts about him, but in reality Twitter would likely be forced to shutter Trump’s own account for its dangerous content.

He’s also insisting the spending bill not include language requiring military bases named after treasonous Confederate traitors to be renamed.

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, said the Senate passed the NDAA because “the brave men and women in uniform who are deployed across the globe deserve to know that we have their back—and no tweet or blatant attempt to politicize our military by Donald J. Trump is going to change that.”

CNN reports Congress is already planning sessions to override Trump’s expected veto, which would make it one of the final examples of Trump’s failed presidency.

“Senate leaders are discussing holding an override vote of Trump’s possible veto of the annual defense bill on the morning of Sunday, January 3, before the outgoing 116th Congress expires and the incoming 117th Congress is sworn in at noon that day,” CNN reports.

Even Trump loyalists are ready to override the veto.

“That would be my preference,” far right Senate Armed Services Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) told CNN.