Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior military and Defense Department officials to draw up plans to cut 8 percent from the defense budget over each of the next five years, officials said on Wednesday.

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

The Pentagon said on Wednesday it was directing the military to draw up a list of potential cuts totaling about $50 billion from the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2026 to be redirected into President Donald Trump's priorities for national defense.

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.

The Trump administration directive exempts a handful of programs, including Trump’s expanded military mission along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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.