President Donald Trump has announced plans to increase the U.S. defense budget to a staggering $1 trillion, reversing earlier commitments to slash military spending and pursue global arms reductions.

The proposal, confirmed during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would mark the highest defense budget in U.S. history. “We’re going to be approving a budget… in the vicinity of a trillion dollars. Nobody has seen anything like it,” Trump declared.

The announcement stunned observers given the regime’s prior stance. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed Pentagon leadership to prepare for 8% annual cuts over the next five years, with seventeen budget lines exempted from reductions. That directive was in line with Trump’s own statements that same month expressing interest in halving U.S., Chinese, and Russian military budgets.

Hegseth has since pivoted, echoing Trump’s new position with a series of statements emphasizing “lethality, readiness, and smart spending.”

The reversal has triggered intense scrutiny from lawmakers and budget analysts. Critics accuse the regime of bait-and-switch tactics—campaigning on peace while laying the groundwork for expanded military engagements. “You don’t go from negotiating disarmament to dropping a trillion on weapons unless you were lying from the start,” said one senior defense policy aide.

Trump’s allies argue the shift is a response to rising global threats and a necessary investment in deterrence. The proposed budget includes major funding for missile systems, cyber warfare, and expanded naval operations.

The full budget will be released in the coming weeks, but Trump’s announcement signals a return to Reagan-era levels of military spending—with even fewer fiscal restraints.

Congressional hearings are expected to begin later this month, with Democratic leaders already signaling opposition and demanding full accountability for the abrupt shift in defense priorities.