Defense hawk slams Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense request as wasteful

Max Boot, a Russian-American author and self-identified defense hawk, wrote in one outlet that President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget would set a new record, exceeding even the inflation-adjusted World War II peak. He warned that such a rise comes as the federal deficit sits at $1.8 trillion and the national debt nears $40 trillion, projecting debt-to-GDP ratios to eclipse historic levels by 2030.

Boot noted the House has passed a measure offering $1.15 trillion plus an additional $73 billion for the Iran war, but the Senate’s opposition could keep the October 1 budget at the $838 billion level of the continuing resolution. He placed responsibility on the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, criticizing the secretary’s lack of Senate engagement and the department’s handling of officer firings, carrier conditions, and the Iran conflict. Boot argued that the rapid depletion of missile stockpiles and the poor performance against low-cost Iranian drones reveal long-standing defense mismanagement, making many of the proposed expenditures appear unjustified.