politics
April 3, 2026
US defense spending would rise $445bn under Trump budget plan, with steep cuts elsewhere
Democrats rebuke White House’s ‘bleak and unacceptable’ view of priorities after 10% cuts proposed to other programs
TL;DR
- Trump administration proposes a budget with a 42% increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion.
- Non-defense spending would be cut by 10%, totaling $73 billion.
- The proposal aims to fund programs for military superiority, including a space-based weapons system.
- Cuts are planned for agencies like the National Endowment for Democracy, IRS, EPA, and NASA.
- Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray, have condemned the budget proposal.
- Funding for border security and national guard deployments is included.
- The proposal affects only discretionary spending, not mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare.
- The budget does not address the US budget deficit or national debt.
- An initiative by Elon Musk to lower federal spending appears to have failed.
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