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Pentagon

Hegseth Says Trump Supports ‘Substantial’ Defense Spending, Expect Increased Investment

By Matthew Beinart

Saturday, December 6th, 2025

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Hegseth Says Trump Supports ‘Substantial’ Defense Spending, Expect Increased Investment

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shakes hands with President Donald Trump during an address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Sept. 30, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Memphis Pitts)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday he expects that the percentage the U.S. spends on defense will increase in coming years, adding that President Donald Trump has also offered his support for “substantial spending.” “I think that number is going up,” Hegseth said in a discussion at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California, referring to the percentage of the gross domestic product that the U.S. spends on defense. “I don’t want to get in front of the…

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Budget

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Congress

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