US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the first defense budget proposal at a record $1 trillion on Monday, writes "Politico".
During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the upcoming budget would be "close" to $1 trillion.
Hegseth later wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Trump "is "rebuilding our military - and FAST".
Thank you Mr. President!
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 7, 2025
COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget.
President @realDonaldTrump is rebuilding our military — and FAST.
(PS: we intend to spend every taxpayer dollar wisely — on lethality and readiness) pic.twitter.com/WcZlNAHgDG
This amount would represent a significant increase over the $892 billion Congress has appropriated for national defense this year - an amount that includes funding for the Pentagon, nuclear weapons development, and security programs at other agencies. The reported increase comes as the military tries to cut 8 percent of its individual budgets and shift funds toward modernization.
Hegseth also plans to cut tens of thousands of civilian employees in various branches around the world as the Pentagon begins work on a plan that is expected to include consolidating bases at home and abroad.
Their comments came as a surprise because the federal budget is not expected until the end of May.
Trump did not specify whether the $1 trillion would be earmarked solely for the Pentagon or cover the entire national defense budget, which also includes other agencies. But national defense spending is already expected to top $900 billion in the next budget.
"Nobody has seen anything like it," Trump told reporters. "We need to build our military, and we are fully aware of the cost, but the military is something we need to build".
Meanwhile, Republicans are planning a $150 billion interim defense budget increase as part of a party-line effort to increase military and border spending and cut taxes. Lawmakers have yet to agree on a final amount - the Senate is pushing for $150 billion, while House Republicans are proposing $100 billion. But the Defense Department could likely use the extra funds within a decade.