Trump’s Defense Dreams Are On Life Support

A Democratic wave in November would likely decimate President Donald Trump’s signature defense programs — from a mammoth missile shield to a fleet of nuclear-powered battleships — that he had hoped would define his legacy in office.

Lawmakers in both parties warn Trump’s proposal for a record-shattering $1.5 trillion defense budget, which includes those initiatives, will face insurmountable opposition from Democrats if they win control of either chamber of Congress. And Trump’s military planners have offered no alternatives for how to fund them if the president’s budget request falls short.

Trump has crooned about his pet defense projects, calling the Golden Dome defense shield “about as close to perfect as you can have” and predicting his Golden Fleetshipbuilding project would be “100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”

But the potential impasse over defense spending not only threatens to stall the president’s defense ambitions, it also could affect how fast the country can rebuild weapons stockpiles severely depleted by the Iran war.

“If we lose control of Congress, it'll be the Last Supper,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), a Trump loyalist.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted this week that investments in autonomous technology and space defense could be severely hampered without the cash. Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome, also has warned that without the $17 billion set aside for his program in Trump’s budget request, it could collapse.

But the White House does not appear to have contingency plans. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought insisted last week that “we're not planning on failure” and said the administration has not developed alternatives to fund critical Pentagon programs if Congress doesn’t back the White House’s plan.

“This is no way to run the Pentagon,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense panel, about the administration’s lack of other funding plans. “I'm very worried about the consequences for our armed forces and our national security.”

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.

The White House insisted budget concerns won't hamper the Defense Department's effectiveness. "The Democrats destroyed our military; President Trump rebuilt it," said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales. "The president will always ensure that our military remains the most powerful fighting force in the world, fully equipped to counter any threats and achieve any strategic goal."

The issue centers around Trump’s dual-path approach to getting $1.5 trillion in total spending, with $350 billion of that coming from yet another party-line measure known as reconciliation. While the base budget has some bipartisan support, the $350 billion does not. Democrats have promised to block the plan, and several prominent Republicans are skeptical it can pass.

“It's more likely that [the reconciliation plan] does not happen” if the GOP loses its majority in either chamber, Moreno said.

But a budget deal that comes in much less than the White House’s request also risks derailing munitions programs, industrial base growth and broader troop readiness.

“The longer the delay and uncertainty, the more alternative funding plans, schedule shifts, program delays, production ramp slowdowns, and supply chain disruptions happen,” said Elaine McCusker, a former Pentagon comptroller in the first Trump administration. “The current and future workforce, the taxpayers and the nation's security pay the price.”

Trump signed an executive order at the start of his second term calling for a nationwide missile defense shield — later renamed Golden Dome— that would use thousands of space-, air- and ground-based systems to counter foreign threats. He said its primary goal would be to “protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack.”

The White House also has pushed for massive government and private investments in the naval fleet to protect against threats, with a new Trump-class battleship at the heart of those efforts. And the Pentagon last week announced plans to launch a new Autonomous Warfare Command to oversee the integration of artificial intelligence, uncrewed drones and high-tech robotics across the military.

All of those initiatives are designed to modernize national security operations. But they also require major investments — as much as $1.2 trillion for Golden Dome over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and $275 billion for the Golden Fleet shipbuilding work.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have criticized what they see as an overemphasis on defense spending to the detriment of social programs. And they have successfully stalled those budget plans, even without a majority in either chamber.

Military operations are funded through Dec. 11 thanks to a continuing resolution lawmakers approved in September. But if Democrats win control of either chamber this fall, they likely will try to halt any larger budget deals until the new year when their members are seated atop congressional spending committees.

Should Democrats win one or both chambers and kill off any hopes of a GOP-led reconciliation package, they will need to craft a new, cohesive defense budget from the remnants, said Mark Cancian, a former defense staffer at the Office of Management and Budget.

“The base budget and the reconciliation bill were constructed to go together,” he said. “They were designed so that you have to pass both, otherwise there are a lot of holes. Golden Dome and munitions are two big ones.”

Republicans could press for action sooner, but GOP infighting has already imperiled any lame duck sprint.

“Does the administration think it will get any support for the remainder of the 119th Congress?,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a frequent Trump critic who is retiring this year. “Their agenda is dead unless they change paths.”

Top Republican appropriators have warned the administration for months that its budget plan is not feasible, citing a lack of votes even among the GOP.

But defense officials in recent trips to Capitol Hill have ignored those warnings.

Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III told reporters after a classified session with senators last month that the department is not considering other options.

Instead, he said, officials are refining their budget sales pitch to lawmakers.

Audrey Decker and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.