The Pentagon is poised to receive a historic funding boost under President Donald Trump, a move that critics say comes at the same time the administration has cut back on social programs that millions of Americans rely on.
In a recent post and accompanying video, Robert Reich, former Labor secretary, criticized Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for proposing a massive increase in defense spending.
“Trump and Pete Hegseth want to give the Pentagon so much money that officials don’t even know how to spend it,” Reich wrote.
In the video, he was even more direct. “The Pentagon is about to get so much money, the Trump officials don’t even know how to spend it.”
According to Reich, Trump and Hegseth want to add $500 billion to the Department of Defense budget next year, “increasing Pentagon funding to a record $1.5 trillion.”
If approved, that would push U.S. military spending to levels never seen before. Reich noted that “The United States already spends more on defense than the next nine countries combined.”
Failed Audits And Contractor Spending
He also questioned how effectively the Pentagon uses the money it already receives.
“And the Pentagon doesn’t have a history of spending its funds wisely,” Reich said. “It has failed audits eight years in a row.”
Reich added that a significant share of defense spending goes to private companies.
“About half its annual spending flows to private military contractors,” he said, “who routinely price gouge the government and pump the spoils into massive CEO pay packages.”
Those claims strike at the heart of a broader debate over whether more military spending strengthens national security or simply increases profits for large defense firms.
Cuts To Domestic Programs
At the same time, Reich argued that the administration has made deep cuts elsewhere.
“This is the same administration that gutted Medicaid, food stamps, scientific research for cancer cures, public education funding, and so much more, by claiming we couldn’t afford to keep running the programs,” he said.
In his view, the contrast is stark. “But all that goes out the window when it comes to enriching war profiteers,” Reich added.
Reich framed the issue as a matter of choices, not constraints. “This isn’t a question of what we can or cannot afford,” he said. “It’s a question of priorities.”
What $500 Billion Could Fund Instead?
To underscore that point, he laid out what he believes the additional $500 billion could pay for instead.
“We could cover medical care for nearly 30 million veterans next year,” Reich said.
He also suggested the money could “ensure nearly 150 million children are covered by Medicaid for a year,” or “fully fund food stamps for the next five years.”
Those comparisons are meant to show what’s at stake when lawmakers decide where federal money goes.
Supporters of higher defense spending say the world is unstable and that a strong military is a basic responsibility of the federal government.
Critics argue that pouring more money into the Pentagon while cutting back at home can result in real strain for low-income families, children, and vulnerable communities.
Even without the proposed increase, the defense budget is already enormous.
The United States has spent more on its military than any other country for years, often by a wide margin.
How much is enough is a debate that comes up almost every budget season.
Reich’s comments fit into a broader progressive view that federal dollars should go toward health care, education, and anti-poverty programs instead of expanding military contracts.
His message, captured in the line “Officials don’t even know how to spend it,” suggests he believes the scale of the proposed increase goes beyond practical need.
The Broader Budget Fight Ahead
As Congress debates spending priorities for the next fiscal year, the clash over defense funding versus domestic investment is likely to intensify.
The outcome will help determine whether the federal government channels hundreds of billions of additional dollars into the Pentagon or into programs that directly support Americans’ daily lives.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.