Trump Calls for $1.5 Trillion to Build ‘Dream Military,’ Pay Down Debt, Give Dividend to ‘Moderate Income Patriots’Jasmyn Jordan 7 Jan 2026
President Donald Trump said the 2027 military budget should be increased to $1.5 trillion, pointing to national security needs and strong tariff revenues as reasons the higher amount is both necessary and achievable.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump released a statement on Truth Social calling for an increase in the 2027 military budget, raising the target from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. He attributed the shift to “long and difficult negotiations with Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and other Political Representatives.” Trump remarked that the decision was made “for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times.”
The proposed increase, according to Trump, would support building what he referred to as the “Dream Military,” asserting that such a force would ensure the United States remains “SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.” He linked the feasibility of the higher budget figure to revenue generated from tariffs, claiming that “tremendous numbers” from tariff income had made the larger figure viable. “Because of Tariffs, and the tremendous Income that they bring, amounts being generated, that would have been unthinkable in the past … we are able to easily hit the $1.5 Trillion Dollar number,” Trump wrote. He added that this approach would also allow for “pay[ing] down Debt” and providing a “substantial Dividend to moderate income Patriots within our Country.”
Trump contrasted current tariff revenues with what he described as the lower expectations under “the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration, the Worst President in the History of our Country!”
This statement comes in the context of ongoing debates about defense spending under both the Biden and Trump administrations. Under President Joe Biden, the Department of Defense’s budgets have seen incremental increases — reaching $886 billion in the 2024 request — but have also faced criticism from Republicans who argue that inflation has effectively turned these increases into cuts.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has stated that “progressives do want to bring down the military budget” while advocating priorities such as a $15 minimum wage and expanding Medicare, including lowering the eligibility age or pursuing Medicare for All. In 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden faced pressure from more than 50 progressive groups calling for a $200 billion annual reduction in Pentagon spending, an end to nuclear arsenal modernization, and the elimination of the Space Force.
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https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/01/07/trump-calls-1-5-trillion-military-debt-dividend-patriots/
