Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered military and Defense Department officials to propose 8% cuts to the defense budget over the next five years. The memo, which identified 17 exceptions, aims to focus funding on Trump administration priorities like border security. Hegseth emphasized reducing bureaucracy and unnecessary spending in alignment with President Trump’s goals, including enhancing military operations at the southern border. The Pentagon is also evaluating potential workforce reductions, with plans to transition full-time employees to contract positions for easier dismissal. These proposed cuts may face resistance in Congress due to their potential impact on local districts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed senior military and Defense Department officials to prepare plans for an 8 percent reduction in the defense budget for each of the next five years, according to officials on Wednesday.
In a memo issued on Tuesday, Mr. Hegseth indicated that various branches within the military and Pentagon are expected to submit budget-cutting proposals by next Monday, as reported by two officials. The memo included approximately 17 exceptions to the proposed reductions, such as military operations at the southern border.
One senior official noted that these cuts seem to be part of an initiative to redirect Pentagon funding toward programs favored by the Trump administration, rather than genuinely reducing the Defense Department’s $850 billion annual budget.
For instance, the Pentagon is currently allocating more funds to the Trump administration’s efforts at the southern border, which includes military flights transporting migrants from the United States to distant countries like India.
Mr. Hegseth has pledged to deploy thousands of active-duty U.S. troops to help manage the influx of migrants across the border, a high priority for President Trump. However, illegal crossings, which surged to record levels during the Biden administration, decreased significantly before Mr. Trump assumed office last month.
In a statement on Wednesday, Robert G. Salesses, the acting deputy defense secretary, emphasized that the president’s directive to the department is clear: “to achieve peace through strength.”
He noted that the Pentagon is implementing budget cuts to enhance other priorities. “To fulfill our mandate from President Trump,” he said, “we are aligned with his priorities, which include securing our borders, constructing the Iron Dome for America, and eliminating radical and wasteful government D.E.I. programs and preferences.”
In the memo released on Tuesday, which was previously reported by The Washington Post, Mr. Hegseth reiterated his frequent call for the military to embrace “the warrior ethos.” He advocated for a dismissal of “excessive bureaucracy” and unnecessary expenditures.
Any proposed cuts to the defense budget may encounter resistance in Congress, where lawmakers tend to focus on budget reductions that could impact their constituencies.
The Pentagon is also preparing for anticipated cuts to its workforce and has been requested to provide lists of probationary employees who may face layoffs to the Trump administration.
A senior military official reported on Wednesday that Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency had shown interest in transitioning full-time Pentagon employees to contract roles, making it easier to terminate them.
On social media Tuesday, Mr. Hegseth shared a post from Mr. Musk’s team expressing anticipation for curbing “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“DOGE the waste; Double-Down on warriors,” Mr. Hegseth commented.