Analysts try to unpack Trump and Hegseth's promise of $1 trillion defense budget

By Tony Bertuca / April 9, 2025 at 2:31 PM
President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have promised $1 trillion in defense spending as Congress awaits the White House’s submission of a " skinny budget " later this month, but Washington analysts have questions about what could actually be in store for the Pentagon's topline. The scramble to understand began Monday evening after President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the administration was approving a defense budget “in the [vicinity]” of $1 trillion. “Nobody's seen anything like...

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