Trump's Massive Federal Budget Proposal

May 5th, 2025

Azzy Xiang

A few weeks ago, budget plans surfaced and revealed huge cuts to NASA and the NOAA which critics dubbed "extinction-level," draining budgets for climate, weather, and ocean laboratories and entire research offices. But now, the White House has released Trump's full budget for 2026, which will completely restructure domestic priorities, mirroring the president's first 100 days in office and huge layoffs in government jobs.

The steep cuts are targeted at child care, disease research, renewable energy, and maintaining diplomacy abroad, with the saved costs diverted towards a mass deportation agenda, although migrant arrivals to the US are at an all-time low.. As he promises to stop the weaponization of government by cutting funds for the IRS, opposing views believe that he is using power to punish groups that he does not personally favor.

Across the government, $163 billion would be cut according to the new budget if congressional approval was given. The most dramatic cuts were targeted at health and science, at the NIH and CDC, which will see budgets cut by one half. The budget slashes also especially target federal welfare programs benefiting the poor, and even federal law enforcement institutions like the FBI. In this sizable reduction 22.6% below current year spending, Trump and his budget drafters promise to end "woke programs," which include preschool grants to states with diversity programs.

The enforcement of parts of the budget is already underway through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. However, the sweeping cuts in federal spending and aggressive changes in financial priority are going to be submitted to Congress, where experts predict Congressmen will engage in significant revision. But even if some of the budget doesn't become law, it may serve as a stepping stone for the coming debates about how to spend the government's money, and is a statement of the president's pursuits during this term.

In the meantime, despite the money conserved from the budget’s proposed actions, Trump's unilateral tariff increases would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and foreign leaders and businesses are worrying about the economic downturn that could result from the trade war.