The request ultimately requires approval by the US Congress, where disagreement over Trump's spending decisions recently led to the longest government shutdown in US history. The defence request will please defence hawks on Capitol Hill, but also highlights how Trump is trying to pay for his doubling-down on military pursuits, even after Republicans boosted defence spending last year in party-line legislation. It is also unclear how this new spending would impact the US budget deficit because the projections were not included by the White House. Messaging in a mid-term yearLawmakers on Capitol Hill often treat White House budget requests as suggestive, as appropriators try to negotiate behind the scenes to maintain their own legislative priorities. The Trump budget also includes US$481 million to increase hiring of air traffic controllers to bulk up staffing in airport towers across the country amid rising concerns about understaffing and air safety.

Source: The Edge Markets April 03, 2026 13:14 UTC