The Department of Defense (DoD) is gearing up to cut $50 billion over the next five years from its current budget lines in order to shift funding to “higher priority defense projects” that would align with President Donald Trump’s “achieve peace through strength” mandate.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed a departmentwide review to identify offsets in the agency’s budget that could be “realigned from low-impact and low-priority Biden-legacy programs to align with President Trump’s America First priorities for national defense,” according to an announcement by the Pentagon.
The DoD is “conducting this review to ensure we are making the best use of the taxpayers’ dollars in a way that delivers on the President Trump’s defense priorities efficiently and effectively,” the announcement reads.
While few specifics have been provided on which programs may be impacted, the DoD plans to develop a list of areas and “potential offsets” with a goal of reducing at least eight percent of its projected spending over the next five years, amounting to $50 billion.
The department’s announcement indicates that the potential cuts could include programs related to “climate change” and other social initiatives, as well as efforts to streamline bureaucracy.
“Through our budgets, the Department of Defense will once again resource warfighting and cease unnecessary spending … The time for preparation is over – we must act swiftly to deter current and impending threats and make the best use of taxpayers’ dollars in doing so,” the department says.
The current Pentagon annual budget is roughly $850 billion, with a large portion allocated to investments in cybersecurity, space operations, and giving servicemembers a pay bump. The FY 2024 budget was set at approximately $825 billion, allocating large portions of the funds to new weapons systems and technology advancements.
The possible new budget cuts and shifts come as representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) shift their focus to the Pentagon, aiming to reduce government spending, staffing, and waste.
However, there is a caveat to the DoD’s DOGE review. President Trump believes that while DOGE will find areas to trim, he doubts that the cuts would end up being large.
While discussions continue about trimming the DoD budget, Republican lawmakers are preparing to push for a $100 billion increase in defense spending over the next decade.
The Senate Budget Committee’s budget blueprint proposes a $150 billion increase from FY 2025 to 2034 in defense spending to strengthen the U.S. Navy, support the defense industrial base, develop an integrated air and missile defense system, and continue the modernization of strategic nuclear forces. The House Budget Committee’s blueprint, suggests a $100 billion spending cap for the military.
