Kelly Calls Trump Pentagon Budget Outrageous
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona has publicly criticized the Trump administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget as “outrageous,” arguing it represents a near doubling of spending since he joined the Senate and approaches the defense spending of the entire rest of the world. Kelly expressed specific concerns about costly, unproven projects like a space-based “Golden Dome” missile defense system and the significant depletion of munitions stockpiles due to the war with Iran. He contended that the war was initiated without a clear strategy, leaving the nation less safe by exhausting critical resources needed for potential future conflicts. In response, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Kelly of inappropriately disclosing classified information from a Pentagon briefing and stated the Defense Department would investigate.