Republicans Rip Trump Budget, Especially the Defense Part

Three senior Republican senators responded with sharp criticism and sarcasm to President Trump's proposed 2026 budget on Friday, comparing the numbers to their party nominee's campaign promises about a strong national defense. The senators also suggested that since the final decision isn't Trump's, they'll take it from here, the New York Times reports. One issue is the plan to increase Pentagon funding by 13%, something even some Republicans see as an accounting gimmick, since it assumes $119.3 billion in government-wide spending cuts will cover it, per the Washington Post. That money is written into legislation as going to certain new projects, not to the Pentagon budget. Reaction came from:

• Sen. Roger Wicker: "President Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda, but his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget were apparently not listening," the Republican said in a statement. He added that the budget would essentially hold military spending unchanged for the fifth straight year, "which is a cut in real terms."
• Sen. Mitch McConnell: "America cannot expect our allies to heed calls for greater annual defense spending if we are unwilling to lead by example," the former Republican leader said in a statement. "Fortunately, presidential budget requests are just that: requests." McConnell said Congress will ensure the Defense Department is adequately funded.
• Sen. Susan Collins: The senator's statement listed a series of cuts Trump wants to make to programs, including biomedical research, utility bill help for poor people, and educational services. And Collins said she has "serious objections" to Trump's defense numbers. "Ultimately, it is Congress that holds the power of the purse," she said.

(More federal budget stories.)