Overview
- Trump said the 2027 military budget should be $1.5 trillion, a 50% increase from a $1 trillion baseline.
- He presented the demand after what he called long, difficult negotiations with senators and other political officials.
- He argued the expansion is necessary in very troubled and dangerous times and to build the “dream” force he envisions.
- Congress has planned roughly $900 billion for the 2026 defense budget, highlighting the scale of the proposed jump.
- Trump claimed tariff revenues would enable the higher spending, though no official accounting of those receipts has been released.