President Donald Trump this week unveiled plans for a $1 trillion defense budget next year, a massive increase that he claimed will provide the country with unmatched military strength for years to come.
During a press event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Trump offered the outline for total defense spending in the fiscal 2026 budget as part of his larger plans for U.S. national security.
“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,” he said. “$1 trillion. Nobody has seen anything like it.
“We are getting a very, very powerful military. We have things under order now.”
A $1 trillion defense budget would represent an increase of nearly 12% from current fiscal year spending levels. Trump indicated that at least some of the new spending would come from savings found by cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency, although he did not specify any accounts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the news on social media Monday evening.
“Coming soon: the first Trillion dollar Department of Defense budget,” he wrote. “President Donald Trump is rebuilding our military — and fast.”
Hegseth said that despite the significant increase, all taxpayer money for his department will be spent “wisely, on lethality and readiness.”
White House officials are expected to reveal their full budget plan for fiscal 2026 — which begins on Oct. 1 — later this spring.
Republicans in Congress have pushed for years for boosts in defense spending to counter growing overseas threats and operational demands.
But they have also called for cuts in overall government spending to balance the federal budget, and for tax relief for some Americans. Increasing defense spending will complicate those calculations, and likely add to the federal deficit unless sharp cuts are made to non-defense programs.
Democratic lawmakers have objected to those kinds of cuts, but have limited options in blocking budget moves because they are in the minority in both the House and Senate.
Even with the increase, an American military budget of $1 trillion still would not match Trump’s stated goal of all NATO countries spending 5% of their gross domestic product on defense.
Trump said the extra money for defense will allow the country to purchase new equipment and capabilities needed for the future.
“We’ve never had the kind of aircraft, the kind of missiles, anything that we have ordered,” he said. “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.”
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
