White House seeks record $1.5 T defence budget in wake of Iran war

The White House sent a spending proposal to lawmakers on Friday, calling for a massive $1.5 trillion US defence budget next year as it faces increased costs due to the war in Iran.

The total year-on-year increase in Pentagon spending would be the largest since World War II, US media reported. However, presidential budgets are wish lists that must be approved by Congress rather than binding orders.

The request would represent a 42 percent hike in the Pentagon topline for 2026.

It is part of a proposal that asks Congress to slash non-defence spending by some $73 billion, or 10 percent, by "reducing or eliminating woke, weaponised and wasteful programs, and by returning state and local responsibilities to their respective governments."

The Pentagon isn't expected to release a detailed breakdown of the budget request until later this month, but the plan could form a fiscal framework that adds trillions to the already growing federal debt over the next decade, assuming Congress adopts the president's proposals.

Trump called on lawmakers to approve the bulk of the increase through the standard annual government funding process, while passing the remaining $350 billion via the same party-line legislative manoeuvre that allowed Republicans to secure tax cuts without Democratic support last year.

In the lead-up to releasing the proposal, the president and his advisers have emphasised the urgency of boosting defence spending, citing the need to replenish weapons stockpiles and other military resources amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

At a private lunch, Trump stressed that defence funding should take precedence over other federal expenditures, even if it meant scaling back social safety-net programs and other assistance.

"It's not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all of these individual things; they can do it on a state basis," he said, adding that the priority had to be "military protection."

The White House posted a video of Trump's remarks on its YouTube page and then deleted it.

Democrats and Republicans have recently voiced concern about increasing military spending to the levels Trump has proposed, noting that the administration has not provided sufficient updates on the five-week-long war with Iran.