In a discreet move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed the armed forces to pinpoint $50 billion worth of programs that could be slashed next year. The aim is to reallocate these funds towards advancing President Donald Trump’s key objectives. Hegseth is committed to streamlining Pentagon spending to better bolster military personnel on the front lines. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert Salesses, declared in a statement released late Wednesday that the era of preparations has come to an end. He emphasized that excess bureaucracy, as well as initiatives related to climate change or what he termed as “woke programs” like diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, would be in the crosshairs.
“To fulfill our mission set forth by President Trump, we are following his priorities which include fortifying our borders, establishing an American version of the Iron Dome, and discontinuing radical and inefficient government DEI programs and preferences,” Salesses elucidated.
The Iron Dome project envisions an elaborate, multi-layered air defense system for the United States, as proposed by Trump, incorporating the capability to intercept incoming missiles from space. The projected $50 billion in cuts would make up approximately 8% of the military’s budget. It remains unclear which specific components of the Pentagon’s expenditures on diversity and equity initiatives, or its allocations for addressing climate change — such as procuring alternative fuels for aircraft or fortifying bases against the impact of extreme weather events, like the 2018 hurricane that severely damaged Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida — would be subject to reduction to reach the targeted $50 billion in savings.
This directive for spending cuts arises as the military is swiftly formulating its budget request for fiscal year 2026, a process involving Congress that typically commences late during presidential transitions. Hegseth has tasked the Pentagon with identifying areas that could be trimmed to pave the way for new spending initiatives in fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1.
The magnitude of these cuts could rival the abrupt savings mandated across the military during the 2013 sequestration, a legislative measure intended to compel Congress to negotiate on reducing budget deficits. Instead, this measure forced the armed services to slash $56 billion within a short span of time. Owing to the structure of the military budget back then, long-term, high-value procurement programs were safeguarded, as were most entitlements such as military retirement and healthcare. Consequently, the accounts that bore the brunt of the cuts were related to operations, maintenance, and personnel, leading to a loss of noncommissioned officers and reductions in training activities like flight hours, resulting in a surge in military training mishaps.
In the aftermath of the sequester, Congress and the military branches have taken steps to provide additional protections to operational and maintenance spending to prevent similar drastic measures in the future.
