The US government is planning to increase defense and national security spending to a record level. According to the budget proposal for the fiscal year 2026 presented by President Donald Trump to Congress, the amount allocated for the country's defense will be $1.01 trillion. This is 13 percent more than the current year, as reported by Bloomberg based on a source familiar with the budget proposal being prepared at the White House on May 2.
The source noted that the increase in US defense spending can be compared to President Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" program and the deployment of nuclear missiles in Europe in the 1980s. According to the new budget proposal, the Pentagon's own budget will amount to $961 billion. This figure is $112.7 billion more than the current year and $84.2 billion more than the budget planned by former President Joe Biden's administration for 2026.
For the first time in history, the US defense budget is expected to exceed the $1 trillion mark. Bloomberg emphasizes that this figure could astonish the US Congress. Trump's budget plan includes the creation of a new missile defense system called "Golden Dome," the construction of new military ships, the modernization of the country's nuclear triad, and a 3.8 percent increase in military personnel salaries.
At the same time, Trump is proposing to cut funding for domestic civil projects by 22.6 percent or $163 billion compared to this year's budget. These cuts include a complete reduction or total halt of funding for renewable energy sources, environmental protection, racial inequality elimination programs, as well as scientific research within the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
It is noted that this record funding for the defense budget by the Trump administration could negatively impact domestic programs while further strengthening the country's security.
