I mean joking aside, that’s what this means yes. It’s a common negotiation tactic. It’s like the businessman who comes into a meeting saying he’s never had to sell so the price is going to be very high.
But yes, this also matches up with the joke that whatever Russia says, believe the opposite. Except in this particular case it’s literally part of the art of negotiations. Not the Trump book.
Oh god I hope so. Recruitment is already falling fast in the US. No one wants to be soldiers. Which good, USA needs to stop being a warmongering nation. Less soldiers equals less wars, it’s a simple numbers game. If you ALSO take away the paychecks of the few stupid enough to be loyal to this violent nation, well that’s it, we’re done.
*Edit: A literal starve the beast.