Hegseth directs the Pentagon to plan significant budget cuts in line with Trump's DOGE priorities

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the agency to draft plans to cut 8% of the Department of Defense budget in each of the next five years to coincide with President Donald Trump's aims, notably achieving peace through strength, according to officials.  

Hegseth is requesting plans to identify offsets from the Biden administration's fiscal year 2026 budget that can be reallocated from low-impact and low-priority Biden legacy programs, according to a statement from Pentagon spokesman Robert Salesses. 

According to a memo, Hegseth directed that the recommended cuts be prepared by Monday. 

"The time for preparedness has passed. "We must act quickly to restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence," Hegseth wrote. "Our budget will resource the fighting force we need, cease unnecessary defense spending, reject excessive bureaucracy, and drive actionable reform, including progress on the audit."

The message was initially reported by The Washington Post. Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon. 

Salesses stated that the money saved might be used to refocus the military agency around Trump's new goals, such as the "Iron Dome for America," his nickname for a missile defense system.

"The Department of Defense is conducting this review to ensure we are making the best use of the taxpayers' dollars in a way that delivers on President Trump's defense priorities efficiently and effectively," he told reporters. 

"The Department will develop a list of potential offsets that could be used to fund these priorities, as well as to refocus the Department on its core mission of deterring and winning wars," the deputy secretary said. "The offsets are targeted at 8% of the Biden Administration's FY26 budget, totaling around $50 billion, which will then be spent on programs aligned with President Trump's priorities."

The reduction will allow the Defense Department to eliminate any needless spending that has hampered the military under the Biden administration, including climate change and other "woke" programs, according to Salesses. Hegseth has stated that the United States intends to "revive the warrior ethos."

The request for reduction coincides with a separate order from the Trump administration to terminate thousands of probationary DOD employees, which is being supervised by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.