Trump’s 2026 budget request includes plans for an Israeli-inspired ‘Golden Dome for America’
President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2026 asks for a litany of cuts — from reductions in basic government functions to the elimination of what he calls “woke programs.”

President Trump has ordered the development of a next-generation missile defense system he likened to Israel’s Iron Dome in an executive order he signed on Monday that described ballistic missiles and other advanced aerial weapons as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”
But experts immediately raised questions about whether an Iron Dome-style system was feasible for the United States, which is more than 400 times the size of Israel.
The order, titled “Iron Dome for America,” gives the Pentagon 60 days to submit details for the plan, which includes accelerating development of U.S. hypersonic missiles and “space-based interceptors.”
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The Latest on the Trump Administration
Marco Rubio, Loyal Foot Soldier: He has been Donald Trump’s reliable echo on issues like Iran, Ukraine and Gaza. Now he is replacing Mike Waltz as national security advisor, in addition to his main day job as secretary of state.
Historians Weigh in: Are Trump’s actions truly unprecedented? 35 historians give us perspective on Trump’s biggest moves.
Fact Checking Trump: On Earth Day, the White House posted a page on its website titled, “We Finally Have a President Who Follows Science.” The New York Times annotated a selection of its contents.
Solid Jobs Report: A steady labor market has for months given the Federal Reserve comfort that it could hold off on interest rate cuts until it had more clarity about how President Trump’s policies would impact the economy. New data released on Friday reinforced that patient approach.
America's New Trajectory: Having escaped prison and death, President Trump has returned to power seeking vindication and vengeance — and done more in his first 100 days to change the trajectory of the country than any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Executive Power: The sheer volume and intensity of the power grab President Trump has undertaken is unlike anything the United States has experienced.
Immigration Agenda's Legal Setback: A groundbreaking ruling from a Texas judge found that Mr. Trump was wrong to claim that the activities of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang in the United States, amounted to an “invasion” that justified invoking the wartime law.
Silence on China: As trade tensions flared between the world’s largest economies, communication between the United States and China has been so shaky that the two superpowers cannot even agree on whether they are talking at all.
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