US President Donald Trump has proposed increasing the US military budget for 2027 to $1.5 trillion, up from $901 billion allocated for 2026. He said the increase would allow the United States to build what he described as a “Dream Military” and maintain security against all adversaries. The military also received an additional $175 billion through legislation Trump signed into law last year. The proposed increase represents roughly a 50 percent rise in military spending.

The proposal comes amid a significant US military buildup in the Caribbean and shortly after Trump ordered US forces to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, stating his intention to take control of Venezuela’s oil reserves. The United States has also provided about $21 billion in military aid to Israel since October 2023, during Israel’s war on Ga-za and its actions in Lebanon and Syria. In recent days, Trump and other US officials have issued threats toward Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, and Iran, including warnings related to protests and unrest in Iran.

Trump has said the United States can afford the proposed $600 billion increase due to higher revenues from tariffs. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, the US collected $288.5 billion last year from tariffs and excise taxes, up from $98.3 billion in 2024, but this revenue is not sufficient to cover the proposed spending increase or reduce the national debt. US national debt has surpassed $38 trillion, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 120 percent, and annual government interest payments now exceed $1 trillion.