WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday requested a 10% cut in non-defense, discretionary spending for the 2027 fiscal year, and an increase to defense spending by $500 billion, according to a White House budget document.
The president’s proposed budget changes need to be approved by the U.S. Congress, which requires bipartisan support, and the spending requests are often treated by lawmakers as suggestions.
But the 2027 budget requests reflect the administration’s political priorities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November, when Trump’s Republicans hope to maintain their small majorities in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
“Savings are achieved by reducing or eliminating woke, weaponized, and wasteful programs, and by returning state and local responsibilities to their respective governments,” the White House said in a budget fact sheet.
Some proposed cuts follow the Trump administration’s pursuit against “green energy” spending, as well as eliminating nearly 30 Justice Department programs that they deem “duplicative” or “weaponized” against the American people.
At the same time, the fiscal year 2027 budget requests a 13% increase to “maximize” the Justice Department’s “capacity to bring violent criminals to justice.”
Reporting by Bo Erickson; editing by Michelle Nichols, Reuters
