President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have announced plans to elevate the Pentagon’s budget to surpass $1 trillion for the first time in history.
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump indicated that the forthcoming budget will be “in the vicinity” of $1 trillion, representing a substantial increase from the current allocation of $850 billion. Hegseth reinforced this message on social media, stating, “COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget,” and asserting that Trump is “rebuilding our military – and FAST.”
Currently, the total budget for all national security programs—encompassing the Department of Defense, nuclear weapons development, and other related agencies—stands at $892 billion. The proposed shift to a $1 trillion Pentagon budget would signify a 12% increase over these existing levels.
This ambitious budgetary goal emerges amidst ongoing efforts within the Pentagon to implement cost-cutting measures. The department is currently working on a five-year plan involving an 8% annual reduction across various programs, intended for reinvestment in modernization initiatives. Additionally, plans are underway to reduce the civilian workforce by tens of thousands and consolidate military bases globally.
“We’re going to be approving a budget, and I’m proud to say, actually, the biggest one we’ve ever done for the military,” Trump stated. “$1 trillion. Nobody has seen anything like it.”
As he continued, “We are getting a very, very powerful military. We have things under order now.”
White House officials are expected to formally present their budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 later this spring. Congress will subsequently review and finalize the appropriations.
While a $1 trillion budget would represent a significant investment, it wouldn’t meet President Trump’s previously stated goal of encouraging NATO countries to allocate 5% of their GDP towards defense spending.
The president emphasized that this influx of funds will be directed toward accelerating the production of new equipment and advanced technologies. “We’ve never had the kind of aircraft, the kind of missiles, anything that we have ordered,” he remarked. “And it’s in many ways too bad that we have to do it because, hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it.”
Recent developments include the unveiling of a Boeing contract for the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, projected to cost approximately $20 billion between 2025 and 2029.
“We know every other plane,” Trump declared. “I’ve seen every one of them and it’s not even close. This is a next level.”
The announcement regarding the Navy’s next-generation fighter jet, the F/A-XX, remains pending, though Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kirby recently confirmed that contract discussions are taking place at “secretary-level and above.”
- Current National Security Budget: $892 billion
- Proposed Pentagon Budget: $1 trillion (12% increase)
- Pentagon’s Five-Year Plan: 8% Annual Program Reductions
- F-47 Fighter Jet Cost Estimate: $20 billion (2025-2029)
