Video: Hegseth defends Trump’s $1.5tn Pentagon budget as ‘urgency of the moment’
Abdullateef Fowewe
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended President Trump’s proposed record $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 Pentagon budget, calling it a direct response to escalating global threats.
The plan represents a staggering 42% increase over 2026 defense spending levels, aimed at modernising forces and placing the defense industrial base on a “wartime footing.”
Speaking at congressional hearings, Hegseth emphasised the need to reverse years of underinvestment.
“Trump’s $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget request reflects the urgency of the moment,” he stated, highlighting allocations for munitions production, advanced drones, and nuclear modernisation amid rising challenges from adversaries.
The budget has drawn sharp bipartisan scrutiny.
Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro criticised the proposal, pointing to the ballooning costs of ongoing wars and a lack of strategic clarity.
“This massive spending hike comes without a clear strategy from the administration,” DeLauro remarked, urging fiscal restraint.
Lawmakers continue to debate the proposal as hearings unfold, with supporters arguing it bolsters U.S. readiness against peer competitors.
