Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers recorded remarks at the Pentagon on Feb. 20, 2025. Hegseth said he will immediately begin shifting billions of dollars away from nonlethal programs in connection with a broader reorganization of military priorities. (Alexander Kubitza/Defense Department)

Hegseth promised to reinvest budget savings in other military programs and jettison civilian workers who are not living up to expectations.

The move could reduce defense spending projections by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next five years.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is directing Pentagon agencies and the military to cut their budgets by 8 percent as part of a dramatic realignment of defense spending to address priorities of President Donald Trump such as protecting the border and modernizing the nuclear force.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s pr

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told the Pentagon to find $50 billion in programs to cut this year, to redirect funds to President Trump's priorities.

Hegseth directed the Pentagon to find $50 billion in cuts for the next fiscal year so the money can be spent on Trump's policy priorities.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to develop plans for cutting 8% from the Department of Defense budget.

Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth has ordered senior military and civilian Pentagon officials to cut 8% from the defense budget over each of the next five years.