Trump Asks Congress for $1.5 Trillion in Defense Spending and a 10% Cut Across Domestic Agencies

On April 3, 2026, the White House sent Congress a budget request seeking roughly $1.5 trillion for defense, described in reporting as a 44 percent increase and the largest such request in decades, while proposing to cut non-defense spending by about 10 percent overall. Agency reductions included roughly 19 percent at Agriculture, 13 percent at Housing and Urban Development and about 12 percent at Health and Human Services, plus cancellation of more than $15 billion in Biden-era infrastructure funding. The request also sought 100,000 adult immigration detention beds and 30,000 family beds, and a $10 billion fund for Washington, D.C. parks and "beautification."

A president's budget carries no legal force; Congress sets appropriations. Its significance is as a statement of priorities, and this one proposed to shift a large share of discretionary spending from domestic programs toward the military and immigration enforcement while annual deficits ran near $2 trillion and federal debt exceeded $39 trillion.

Republican armed services leaders praised the defense increase. Representative Brendan Boyle called the request "America Last." Congress had not acted on it by the end of April 2026.