Pentagon seeks record $1.6 trillion budget amid Pacific buildup

The Trump administration, including President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, is proposing a record $1.6 trillion Pentagon budget for the upcoming year. This includes a $600 billion increase, which is nearly double the total annual military budget of China.

A report by the Institute for Policy Studies, titled “The True Cost of the U. S. Military in Hawaiʻi,” highlights the impact of this military buildup on the Hawaiian archipelago. The report argues that the administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which relies on Hawaiʻi as a forward strike posture to deter China, places the islands at risk of conflict.

Furthermore, the report claims the military presence has caused environmental degradation, poisoned land and waters, and failed to pay more than $130 billion in back rent. The administration intends to expand facilities and secure access to air and naval bases across the Pacific, including Guam, the Philippines, and Australia, as part of its pursuit of global military dominance.