{"id":48263,"date":"2026-05-15T12:52:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T19:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=48263"},"modified":"2026-05-15T12:52:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T19:52:37","slug":"hegseth-drops-new-ad-for-proposed-1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-as-poll-shows-60-opposed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/hegseth-drops-new-ad-for-proposed-1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-as-poll-shows-60-opposed\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth Drops New Ad for Proposed $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget as Poll Shows 60% Opposed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/us-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-testifies-before-the-senate-committee-on-appropriations-subcommittee-on-defense-on-may-12-20.jpg?id=66735273&amp;width=1200&amp;height=400&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=0%2C33%2C0%2C309\" alt=\"Hegseth Drops New Ad for Proposed $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget as Poll Shows 60% Opposed\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense on May 12, 2026 in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0(Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is the public experience how more spending does not actually keep them safe,\u201d said a researcher at Brown University\u2019s Costs of War Project.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brad-reed\">Brad Reed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 14, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday released yet another ad pitching President Donald Trump\u2019s proposed $1.5 trillion&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/pentagon\">Pentagon<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/budget\">budget<\/a>, as new polling showed major skepticism over the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his latest pitch for the record-breaking defense budget, the former Fox News host insists that \u201cAmerica is not in decline,\u201d even though the US has been unable to compel Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite having spent nearly $1 trillion on defense in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RECOMMENDED&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-pentagon-budget\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-testifies-during-a-senate-armed-services-committee-hearing-on-april-30-2026-in-washington-dc.jpg?id=66701787&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=170%2C0%2C171%2C0\" alt=\"Hegseth Lampooned for Absurd Video Claiming $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Puts 'American Taxpayer First'\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-pentagon-budget\">Hegseth Lampooned for Absurd Video Claiming $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Puts \u2018American Taxpayer First\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-senate-hearing\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/defense-secretary-hegseth-testifies-before-senate-armed-services-committee.jpg?id=66661896&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=333%2C0%2C334%2C0\" alt=\"Defense Secretary Hegseth Testifies Before Senate Armed Services Committee\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-senate-hearing\">\u2018War Criminal\u2019 Pete Hegseth Hammered on True Costs of Iran Debacle During Senate Hearing<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe remain the strongest military power on Earth,\u201d Hegseth continued. \u201cBut that power requires renewal. And with global threats that are constantly evolving, it\u2019s time to make a $1.5 trillion investment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The $1.5 trillion investment is a GENERATIONAL DOWN PAYMENT on America\u2019s national defense.<br><br>This investment guarantees the United States maintains overwhelming strength and unmatched deterrence against any adversary for generations to come. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2zOSlZkzNr\">pic.twitter.com\/2zOSlZkzNr<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecWar\/status\/2054920323233980635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 14, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A $1.5 trillion military budget would be over 50% more than the 2025 US defense budget and more than four times the money spent on defense by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/country-rankings\/military-spending-by-country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">China<\/a>, the world\u2019s second-biggest defense spender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other things, Hegseth said that the budget would invest $18 billion into Trump\u2019s proposed \u201cGolden Dome\u201d missile defense shield, which the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-golden-dome-cbo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated<\/a>&nbsp;would cost $1.2 trillion to create, deploy, and operate over the first 20 years of its existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hegseth also said that the Pentagon would be increasing its investment in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence<\/a>&nbsp;by \u201c800%,\u201d although it\u2019s not at the moment clear how well AI helps militaries effectively fight wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The defense secretary concluded his video by insisting that \u201cwe are expanding our strength, we are restoring our deterrence, and we are putting America first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>USA Today&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/05\/14\/pentagon-trillion-dollar-budget-americans-poll\/90064848007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;on Thursday that a new poll conducted by ReThink Media and the Costs of War Project at Brown University finds that nearly 60% of Americans think the proposed Trump Pentagon budget is too large, including 40% who say $1.5 trillion is \u201cmuch too high\u201d to spend on defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Breaking the figures down by party, 87% of Democrats said the defense budget was too high, along with 54% of independents, and even 30% of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/republicans\">Republicans<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jennifer Greenburg, a researcher with Brown\u2019s Costs of War Project, told USA Today that Americans were broadly skeptical that plunging more taxpayer money into the Pentagon is really necessary given that the US already&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/country-rankings\/military-spending-by-country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doles out<\/a>&nbsp;more for defense than the next four biggest spenders\u2014China, Russia, Germany, and India\u2014combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn real time, I think what we\u2019re seeing,\u201d said Greenberg, \u201cis the public experience how more spending does not actually keep them safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/13\/opinion\/hegseth-pentagon-military-budget.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">column<\/a>&nbsp;published by The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/new-york-times\">New York Times<\/a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, longtime national security reporter Noah Shachtman argued that Hegseth\u2019s $1.5 trillion proposal was \u201cless like a budget and more like a trip to an endless casino buffet\u201d in which the Pentagon spends money in \u201cgut-busting proportions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shachtman also noted that the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget comes at a time when the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/trump-administration\">Trump administration<\/a>&nbsp;has wrecked traditional oversight mechanisms, thus making waste and fraud far more likely at a Pentagon that\u2019s never passed an audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of their early actions was to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/RgsqI\/https:\/\/www.warren.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/final_-_warren_letter_to_hegseth_on_dod_ig_removal.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fire and replace the Pentagon\u2019s inspector general<\/a>, whose office looks into claims of fraud and abuse in military contracting,\u201d Shachtman explained. \u201cThe independent office that tests whether our weapons actually work has been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/RgsqI\/https:\/\/federalnewsnetwork.com\/defense-news\/2025\/08\/dods-independent-testing-office-drops-nearly-100-programs-from-oversight-list\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">gutted<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ben Freeman, director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/responsiblestatecraft.org\/hegseth-testifies-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">argued<\/a>&nbsp;in an analysis published on Tuesday that Hegseth\u2019s budget pitch at congressional hearings this week was particularly baffling because there is really no imperative behind it on par with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/cold-war\">Cold War<\/a>&nbsp;or the post-9\/11 defense buildup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDespite presenting no strategic necessity for the largest year-over-year Pentagon spending increase since World War II,\u201d Freeman wrote, \u201cHegseth repeatedly claimed the $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget was a sound financial decision, arguing in the Senate hearing that \u2018at every level we have made it a fiscally responsible budget.\u2019 Yet, the fact is that the entirety of this proposed increase in Pentagon spending would be deficit financed, effectively going on Uncle Sam\u2019s credit card.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brad-reed\">Brad Reed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brad Reed is a staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brad-reed\">Full Bio &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense on May 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. \u00a0(Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images) \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is the public experience how more spending does not actually keep them safe,\u201d said a researcher at Brown University\u2019s Costs&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/hegseth-drops-new-ad-for-proposed-1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-as-poll-shows-60-opposed\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48263"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48264,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48263\/revisions\/48264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}