US President Donald Trump on Friday proposed boosting defense spending to $1.5 trillion in his 2027 budget request.
The move — submitted about five weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran — would raise military spending by more than 40% in a single year, the steepest increase since World War II. To partly offset the rise, the 92-page document calls for a 10% cut in non-defense spending, “reducing or eliminating woke, weaponized and wasteful programs, and by returning state and local responsibilities to their respective governments,” it said.
While presidential budget proposals are nonbinding and Congress will write the final budget, they signal administration priorities. Trump’s plan would fund his Golden Dome missile defense shield, build up critical mineral supplies for defense industries, and provide $65.8 billion to build 34 new combat and support ships. The president also requested a 13% increase in Justice Department funding to “maximize” its capacity to bring violent criminals to justice.
The proposal seeks to maintain high spending on homeland security and immigration enforcement, citing $2.2 billion to support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, 41,500 detention beds, and 30,000 “family unit beds.” Other additions include $481 million to enhance aviation safety and hire more air traffic controllers, and $152 million for Trump’s idea to reopen Alcatraz as an active prison.
Major cuts target several federal departments: a 19% decrease for the Agriculture Department, a 12.5% cut for the Health Department, and a 52% reduction for the Environmental Protection Agency. The budget would slash more than $15 billion from the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law, including funds for renewable energy projects, and reduce funding for programs the administration labels “woke,” such as certain environmental justice initiatives.
The plan would cut $106 million from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, alleging it “pushed radical gender ideology onto children,” and seeks to eliminate nearly 30 Justice Department programs it deems “weaponized” against the American people. It also proposes trimming the National Endowment for Democracy by $315 million and asking for a 23% cut to NASA, including a $3.6 billion reduction to the agency’s science unit.
Reaction was swift. Democrats criticized the proposal, with Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, calling it “an out-of-touch plea for more money for guns and bombs, and less for the things people need, like housing, health care, education, roads, scientific research, and environmental protection.” Some Republicans supported the military increase, arguing it would help move US defense spending toward 5% of GDP and keep the military technologically advanced. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker and House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers praised the proposal as a clear signal to allies and partners.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
