Trump, Hegseth Pledge Unprecedented $1 Trillion Budget for Pentagon
The unexpected announcement arrives as the Defense Department gets ready to cut tens of thousands of civilian jobs.
TroibNews 
On Monday, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a historic $1 trillion defense budget proposal, marking a record investment for the military.
During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump indicated that the forthcoming budget would be “in the vicinity” of $1 trillion.
In a subsequent post on X, Hegseth emphasized the rapid pace of military enhancements under Trump’s leadership, stating, "is rebuilding our military — and FAST." He added, “COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget.”
This proposed figure represents a significant rise from the $892 billion allocated by Congress for this year's national defense programs, which encompass the Pentagon, nuclear weapons development, and security initiatives at various agencies. This proposal arrives as the armed services are seeking to reduce their individual budgets by 8 percent, redirecting the funds toward modernization efforts.
Furthermore, Hegseth is preparing to cut tens of thousands of civilian positions within the department globally, as the Pentagon embarks on what is likely to include the consolidation of domestic and overseas military bases.
The announcement came as a surprise since the federal budget rollout is not anticipated until late May. Trump did not clarify whether the $1 trillion budget would be exclusively for the Pentagon or encompass the entire national defense budget, which also includes other agencies. However, national defense spending is already expected to surpass $900 billion in the upcoming budget.
“Nobody’s seen anything like it,” Trump remarked to reporters. “We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something that we have to build. And we have to be strong because you’ve got a lot of bad forces out there now.”
In a separate development, Congressional Republicans are proposing an interim defense budget increase of up to $150 billion as part of their strategy to enhance military and border spending while implementing tax cuts. While the Senate has advocated for $150 billion, House Republicans have suggested a $100 billion increase, and the Defense Department is likely to utilize this additional funding over the next decade.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump indicated that the forthcoming budget would be “in the vicinity” of $1 trillion.
In a subsequent post on X, Hegseth emphasized the rapid pace of military enhancements under Trump’s leadership, stating, "is rebuilding our military — and FAST." He added, “COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget.”
This proposed figure represents a significant rise from the $892 billion allocated by Congress for this year's national defense programs, which encompass the Pentagon, nuclear weapons development, and security initiatives at various agencies. This proposal arrives as the armed services are seeking to reduce their individual budgets by 8 percent, redirecting the funds toward modernization efforts.
Furthermore, Hegseth is preparing to cut tens of thousands of civilian positions within the department globally, as the Pentagon embarks on what is likely to include the consolidation of domestic and overseas military bases.
The announcement came as a surprise since the federal budget rollout is not anticipated until late May. Trump did not clarify whether the $1 trillion budget would be exclusively for the Pentagon or encompass the entire national defense budget, which also includes other agencies. However, national defense spending is already expected to surpass $900 billion in the upcoming budget.
“Nobody’s seen anything like it,” Trump remarked to reporters. “We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something that we have to build. And we have to be strong because you’ve got a lot of bad forces out there now.”
In a separate development, Congressional Republicans are proposing an interim defense budget increase of up to $150 billion as part of their strategy to enhance military and border spending while implementing tax cuts. While the Senate has advocated for $150 billion, House Republicans have suggested a $100 billion increase, and the Defense Department is likely to utilize this additional funding over the next decade.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
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