Trump Wants a Generous $AU70 Billion Boost to Defence Spending

Donald Trump is seeking a “historic increase” in military spending by slashing funds from other departments, like foreign aid.

A White House budget official said U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to boost Pentagon spending by $70AU billion in his first budget proposal.

The good thing is, he doesn’t have the final say on federal spending.

Trump’s plans to ramp up military spending is only part of a proposal; his fellow Republicans may choose to go against the plans.

Speaking to state governors at the White House, the president boomed, “We must ensure that our courageous servicemen and women have the tools they need to deter war and when called upon to fight in our name, only do one thing: win.”

The boost in defence would, of course, be financed partially by cuts to other sectors. Officials familiar with his proposal expect the State Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other non-defence programs to cop the worst of it.

Some think the president is gearing up against Iran and China. One insider said Trump intends to throw more money into shipbuilding and military aircrafts, to establish “a more robust presence in key international waterways and chokepoints”.

The South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz are the obvious examples here.

"Nobody will dare question our military might again." -@POTUS #CPAC2017 #CPAC https://t.co/PQRTuB8wHD

— CPAC 2017 (@CPAC) 24 February 2017

Trump is expected to address Congress soon, with his “optimistic vision” for the future of the nation.

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