I note Michio Kaku hasn't been keeping up with stuff.  He's quoting prices from the 90's, and somewhat deceptive prices too. (I.e., the $10K/lb prices were for Shuttle launches (unusually high relative to other methods) and only counted unpressurized cargo (pressurized cargo costs much more). 

>>

A) And the military is renowned for its lack of red tape? Why would the military want to explore anything?  Blaming NASA's malaise on NASA is ridiculous. Give them a mission and money and they'll do it. In the meantime, their engineers and astronauts will go work for SpaceX and ULA and Blue Origin.

B) I would point to SEI during Bush V1, Venture Star during Clinton, Constellation during Bush V2.  All unfunded mandates. Nothing came of any of them.  In the case of SLS for the last dozen years, they've been happy to spend a great deal of money on very little.  Trump can sign all the paper he wants, if the mandate is unfunded, like the above programs nothing will happen.  Congress has to be on board to fund (in perpetuity) a whole new branch of the military. NASA on it's worst day is literally an order of magnitude cheaper.

C) They already are, unbidden. SpaceX drove the Russians out of the commercial launch business.  The Russians.  Link

His actual quote as to whether or not the Space Force would enforce peace, was "that's the rhetoric.  (laughter)"

As I see it, cooperative space exploration has no downside. Militarization of space has almost nothing but, with the main downside being war in space, which could make the orbital space around Earth unusable.  Kessler syndrome is a real thing.