In a major shake-up of military spending, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to develop a plan to reduce defense spending by 8% per year over the next five years. The goal is to free up approximately $50 billion for programs aligned with President Trump’s national security priorities.
According to Pentagon spokesman Robert G. Salesses, the cuts will help fund initiatives such as enhanced border security, a domestic missile defense system dubbed the “Iron Dome for America,” and the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
“Reviving the Warrior Ethos”
Salesses emphasized that the cuts are intended to streamline the military and refocus spending on warfighting capabilities rather than what he described as “woke programs” and excessive bureaucracy.
“Through our budgets, the Department of Defense will once again resource warfighting and cease unnecessary spending that set our military back under the previous administration, including through so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs,” Salesses said in a statement.
The move reflects a broader push by the Trump administration to redirect government resources toward policies it sees as more directly benefiting national security and defense readiness.
Unexpected Support from Bernie Sanders
Surprisingly, the proposal has found support from an unlikely source—Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a longtime critic of excessive defense spending.
“Every once in a while, I DO agree with Trump,” Sanders posted on X (formerly Twitter). “He’s right: when the Pentagon cannot complete an independent audit, we should cut military spending by 8% a year over the next five years.”
However, Sanders suggested that the savings should be redirected toward expanding Social Security benefits and improving veterans’ health care rather than funding Trump’s proposed defense initiatives.
“Cutting the Fat” at the Pentagon
As part of the cost-cutting effort, staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were seen at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Feb. 18, reportedly collecting lists of probationary employees. Hegseth has described this effort as a necessary step to “cut the fat” from the military bureaucracy.
The proposed cuts are expected to spark debate in Congress, where defense spending has long been a contentious issue. While some Republicans and Democrats support reducing wasteful expenditures, others argue that cuts of this magnitude could impact military readiness.
