Most Americans – A new public opinion survey finds nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe the Pentagon’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion budget proposal is too costly. The finding comes as the administration weighs cuts to non-defense programs and the Pentagon asks for additional fund
For nearly 6 in 10 Americans, the Pentagon’s next budget fight isn’t abstract. It’s about whether households can afford it.
In a poll conducted in early May, respondents showed broad resistance to the Pentagon’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion budget proposal—described as the largest U.S. military budget since World War II and as a 42% increase from current funding levels.
Nearly 6 in 10 Americans—40% saying “much too high” and 19% saying “somewhat too high”—told researchers the new spending level is simply too costly. Another 25% said it was “about right.” Just 3% said it was “somewhat too low,” and less than 1% said “much too low.”
The public unease is not confined to one political lane. While Democrats made up the largest fraction of voters who viewed the Pentagon budget as too high—87%—a majority of independents felt the same way. at 54%. Around 3 in 10 Republicans said it was too high. compared with 44% who said it was about right and 7% who said it was too low.
The results come from a poll conducted by ReThink Media and the Costs of War Project at Brown University, a nonpartisan research group. YouGov conducted another related poll from May 6 to 8 among 1,006 registered voters, with a margin of error of 3.5%.
“The polling data shows growing discomfort among the general public with the scale of military spending. ” Jennifer Greenburg. a researcher with Brown’s Costs of War project. told USA TODAY. “In real time. I think what we’re seeing is the public experience how more spending does not actually keep them safe.”.
The Pentagon did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The same budget request is arriving at a politically tense time, with the Trump administration signaling cuts to non-defense priorities. The plan calls for a 10% reduction in non-defense spending. which the coverage describes as targeting homelessness relief and HIV treatment programs. NASA research. and other program funds.
Hegseth says the Pentagon’s plan is about capability in an “increasingly complex threat environment. ” but lawmakers pressed on the tradeoffs. At a congressional budget hearing this week. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the record funding would “ensure that the United States continues to maintain the world’s most powerful and capable military as we grapple with an increasingly complex threat environment across multiple theaters.”.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, pressed Hegseth on the proposed drains on other programs, asking whether families would be forced to give up “child care and health coverage” to fund another “half trillion dollars” for war, while the administration seeks “a $1.5 trillion” budget.
Hegseth responded: “Senator, that’s not my department. I certainly support this [budget].”
The Pentagon has also increased its estimated cost of the war in Iran to $29 billion up from $25 billion.
That matters because the broader request is not limited to the $1.5 trillion defense proposal. The Pentagon has said it will seek additional money for the Iran war on top of the overall budget. It has told lawmakers the conflict has cost at least $29 billion thus far, not including the damage to U.S. military bases from Iran’s attacks.
While the administration seeks additional funding, public attitudes about the war itself are also unfavorable. A majority of Americans also don’t approve of the Iran war. Six in 10 Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the Iran war. according to a Marist poll released in early May. Two-thirds of Americans say Trump hasn’t made a case for why he went to war with Iran. according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from around the same time.
In the background of these budget and polling numbers sits a policy argument Trump has made about the purpose of negotiations with Iran. As talks between the United States and Iran fail to bear fruit and the ceasefire teeters. Trump said May 12 that when he is negotiating with Iran. the economic strain the war has placed on Americans is not a factor motivating him to make a deal.
“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran – they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. … I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”
The sequence on Capitol Hill and in public opinion is hard to miss: a record defense budget paired with an escalating war cost estimate, while Americans—across party lines—signal that the price is too high, and while approval for how the conflict is being handled remains low.
With the Pentagon preparing to request more money for Iran and the broader budget proposal already facing skepticism at the ballot box level. the next debate may not just be about military readiness. It could be about whether Americans will accept the financial weight of a prolonged. expanding war—especially as non-defense programs are on the chopping block.
Pentagon budget $1.5 trillion poll ReThink Media Costs of War Project Brown University non-defense spending cuts Iran war costs Pete Hegseth Patty Murray Marist poll Reuters/Ipsos