President Trump Wants To Significantly Increase The Defense Budget

President Trump with the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, left, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, right, at the White House last week. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

New York Times: Trump to Ask for Sharp Increases in Military Spending, Officials Say

WASHINGTON — President Trump will instruct federal agencies on Monday to assemble a budget for the coming fiscal year that includes sharp increases in Defense Department spending and drastic enough cuts to domestic agencies that he can keep his promise to leave Social Security and Medicare alone, according to four senior administration officials.

The budget outline will be the first move in a campaign this week to reset the narrative of Mr. Trump’s turmoil-tossed White House.

A day before delivering a high-stakes address on Tuesday to a joint session of Congress, Mr. Trump will demand a budget with tens of billions of dollars in reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency and State Department, according to four senior administration officials with direct knowledge of the plan. Social safety net programs like food stamps would also be hit hard.

Preliminary budget outlines are usually little-noticed administrative exercises, the first step in negotiations between the White House and federal agencies that usually shave the sharpest edges off the initial request.

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WNU Editor: No specifics have been released yet .... but many have doubts that these defence increases will happen .... Complications Loom for Trump’s Defense Budget (National Defense). And to make matters worse .... there is that March 15 debt ceiling deadline that still needs to be addressed by Congress .... Stockman: "After March 15 Everything Will Grind To A Halt" (Zero Hedge).

More News On President Trump's Plans To Significantly Increase The Defense Budget

Trump will push for higher defense spending: Report -- CNBC
Proposed Trump Budget Said to Hike Defense Spending, Cut EPA -- Bloomberg
Trump to call for substantial increase in military spending, cuts to several federal agencies -- CNN
Trump budget plan boosts Pentagon, trims State Dept, EPA - officials -- Reuters
Mnuchin: Trump's first budget won't touch entitlements -- The Hill