Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed senior Pentagon officials and military leaders to forge plans that would result in an 8 percent cut to the defense budget for each year over the next five years.
The proposed cuts were outlined in a memo issued Tuesday, which ordered a reduction in the Middle East and Europe military commands. On the flip side, it would exempt 17 entities, including a program to modernize nuclear weapons, Virginia-class submarines, attack drones, surface ships, missile defense and cybersecurity, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
The acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses said Wednesday that reduction, which is projected to slash $50 billion off of the defense budget, would help pay for President Trump’s administration’s defense priorities, including border security and the “Iron Dome for America” missile defense system.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is looking to end “unnecessary spending that set our military back” like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and climate change programs, according to Salesses.
“The Department will develop a list of potential offsets that could be used to fund these priorities, […]
I have been waiting for this and it is qualified good news. The United States spends more on defense than the next several countries combined. This has been a trend for decades, and has been occurring while our manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas by the capitalist class. Try buying something made in the US. So your family can’t use a Bradley armored fighting vehicle? Too bad that you need a refrigerator. We go from conflict to conflict and Congress funds one weapons system after another and there is never an accounting, nor any charges of fraud or abuse made against the private contractors benefiting from these contracts. It’s as if congress believes that all is well so long as the campaign contributions continue to flow. The spending that is occurring to sustain the empire cannot continue indefinitely. The military and the empire must shrink. The sooner the better.
Let’s be real!! The cuts that are taking place in nearly all departments, agencies, etc. in the US are so No.2 can give his ultra-rich cohorts their promised tax reduction that will expire soon. He doesn’t care who gets hurt by the cuts or how it affects people, he is razor-focused on his own objectives—-get that tax cut, which benefits him and his sons as well!!!
He really stinks as a leader and the polls are finally showing that Americans are waking up from their phony dream that he is a king and savior! Baloney!