‘Head-Scratcher’: Trump Aides Struggle to Spend $500 Billion Beyond Military Request
A report published Saturday by The Washington Post says aides to President Donald Trump are facing major logistical challenges as they attempt to allocate an additional $500 billion in military spending for the upcoming federal budget.
According to four people familiar with the discussions, Trump agreed to a roughly 50% funding increase sought by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, dramatically expanding the Pentagon’s expected budget.
However, White House aides and defense officials are now struggling with how to distribute the massive increase. The Post reported that officials are grappling with “where to put the money, because the amount is so large.”
The administration is currently more than two weeks past the statutory deadline to submit its budget proposal to Congress. The delay is partly due to uncertainty over how to structure and justify the additional $500 billion in defense spending.
Senior Pentagon officials have reportedly consulted former defense leaders as they work through the complications of incorporating the new funds into the broader military strategy.
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and defense budget expert, told the Post that the proposed spending surge appears disconnected from the Pentagon’s most recent defense strategy.
That strategy, released in January, calls for prioritizing defense in the Western Hemisphere while scaling back emphasis on Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Cancian described the situation as a “head scratcher,” noting that a 50% increase would typically allow for expanded global investments rather than retrenchment in certain regions.
“If you’ve got a 50 percent budget increase, you don’t have to do any of that,” Cancian said. “You’d be talking about all the new places you’d be making investments.”
