Trump seeks US$1.5 trillion for defence in new budget request amid Iran war
US President Donald Trump announces the US Navy’s “Golden Fleet” battleship programme at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS US President Donald Trump is seeking congressional approval for US$1.5 trillion in defence spending in his new budget proposal, underscoring his administration’s focus on military investment as the country remains engaged in conflict in the Middle East.
The blueprint released by the White House on Friday for the financial year 2027 proposes a 44 per cent increase in the US defence budget – implementing the widely controversial plan first unveiled by Trump in a January social media post.
If approved, this would mark the highest military investment in US modern history, according to experts.
According to the proposal released on Friday, the US Department of Defence will use these funds to “reinvest in the foundations of American military power – from defence industrial capacity to the readiness and health of the force – and ensure the United States maintains the world’s most powerful and capable military.” By contrast, the 2027 budget proposal aims to cut non-defence spending by US$73 billion, a 10 per cent reduction, including housing, social services, healthcare and other domestic programmes.
Key areas of this massive defence budget include expanding the US arsenal, strengthening the US Navy and modernising the nuclear force, according to the document.
Trump’s proposed “Golden Fleet” naval plan and “Golden Dome” homeland missile defence system are also highlighted.
Of that US$1.5 trillion sum, US$1.15 trillion constitutes the base discretionary spending, marking the first time the Pentagon’s regular budget has surpassed the trillion-dollar threshold.
The remaining US$350 billion hinges on a second reconciliation bill that the US Congress has yet to consider.
The budget was unveiled as the US-Israeli war on Iran has continued for over a month, dealing a heavy blow to global oil and gas supplies and market sentiment.
In a prime-time national address on Wednesday, Trump announced that the war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on targets in the country. “We are going to hit them extremely hard.
Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.
In the meantime, discussio
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