Pentagon Ordered to Assess Budget to Meet Trump’s ‘America First’ Priorities
On February 19, the Pentagon issued a statement announcing that it had ordered an assessment of its spending to redirect approximately $50 billion towards programs that better align with President Trump’s "priorities." This move comes in response to a Washington Post report alleging significant budget cuts within the military.
Allegations of Steep Budget Cuts
The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had instructed his staff to prepare for an 8% reduction in the Pentagon’s budget, amounting to tens of billions of dollars annually for five years.
Pentagon Response: Evaluation and Realignment
In a statement, the Pentagon did not directly refute the allegations but instead described an evaluation, ordered by the Secretary, to refocus certain budgets towards "President Trump’s ‘America First’ priorities for national defense."
Pentagon officials are tasked with identifying areas within the budget to reduce in order to "fund these priorities" and "recenter the Department on its core mission of deterring and winning wars." These reallocations "are targeted at 8% of the Biden administration’s FY26 department-wide budget, totaling about $50 billion," the statement read.
Exemptions and Targeted Cuts
A memo from Hegseth, cited by The Washington Post, requests proposals for budget cuts within the Pentagon by February 24. However, seventeen areas within the Pentagon are exempt from these reductions, including operations at the Mexican border and the modernization of the nuclear arsenal.
The Pentagon document reportedly emphasizes continued funding for several U.S. military commands globally, including those responsible for the Asia-Pacific region and space. However, the European Command, amidst ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine, is notably absent from this list of exemptions. The Middle East Command (Centcom) and the Africa Command are also not included in the exempted programs, according to The Washington Post.
‘Peace Through Strength’ and Budgetary Discipline
"The Department of Defense’s mission under President Trump is clear: achieve peace through strength," Hegseth wrote in the memo, as quoted by the newspaper. "Our budget will resource our warfighters, end wasteful defense spending, and reject excessive bureaucracy," added the former Fox News host, appointed by President Trump.
Government-Wide Efficiency Push
Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the federal administration has launched a sweeping effort to reduce government spending, spearheaded by the new Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk.
Potential Impact of Alleged Budget Cuts
If the budget cuts outlined in The Washington Post report are implemented, the military budget of the world’s preeminent military power could be reduced by nearly $300 billion within five years.
