Trump proposes $1.5 trillion defense budget, slashes NASA, EPA to pay for it

U.S. President Donald Trump has requested a massive $500 billion surge in defense spending for fiscal year 2027.

This brings the total military budget to $1.5 trillion. Additionally, Trump calls for a 10% cut to non-defense federal programs.

The budget proposal is announced on Friday, April 3. White House compared this increase in budget to the historic military budget raised before “World War II.”

In the proposal, around 5% to 7% pay raise is announced for military personnel amid active deployments.

Its chances of success are unclear in Congress, which experienced a government shutdown due to a disagreement about spending by Trump. The bill is described by the leading Democrats as a "doomed" proposal.

These budget reductions are aimed at green energy initiatives, the Environmental Protection Agency (52% cut), the Department of Agriculture (19% cut), and NASA (23% reduction). This follows only two days after NASA’s launch of its biggest Artemis mission to the Moon.

The budget also includes funding for pet projects, including the reopening of Alcatraz prison ($152 million), the beautification of Washington D.C. ($10 billion), and initial funding for a “Trump-class” battleship as part of a $65.8 billion shipbuilding plan.

The deficit gap in the country is still widening despite the deficit reduction measures undertaken by President Trump. The budget office of Congress projects that there will be a $1.853 trillion deficit this fiscal year.