Hegseth Set to Seek 8% Spending Shift at Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to reduce projected US military spending by 8% over the next five years would spare southwest border enforcement, the Air Force’s newest drone program, nuclear weapons modernization and preparations for a clean audit, according to a new memo he sent to the services.

The Feb 18 memo instructs “senior Pentagon leadership,” combat commands, Defense Department agencies, the service branches and civilian agencies to propose 8% cuts to their spending estimates for each of the five fiscal years starting with 2026. “I will conduct a relook” of what’s been prepared to date, Hegseth wrote, setting a Feb. 24 deadline for responses.