(CNN) President Donald Trump has agreed to a request from Defense Secretary James Mattis to propose a defense budget of $750 billion for the coming year, marking a reversal from plans to shrink defense spending, an administration official confirmed to CNN.
Last week, Trump appeared to call the Defense Department budget of $716 billion “crazy” in a tweet. The next day Mattis and key Republican lawmakers who oppose any defense budget cuts met with the President for lunch to discuss military funding.
The agreement on the $750 billion budget came out of the meeting last Tuesday, which was attended by Trump, Mattis and the chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, and Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma.
“The President fully supports the National Defense Strategy and continuing to rebuild the military,” the official said. “With the help of Sen. Inhofe and Chairman Thornberry, President Trump agreed to $750 billion topline.”
Politico first reported the decision to increase the budget proposal.
The larger number tracks with what some experts, including a congressionally appointed panel, have said should be a yearly 3 to 5% increase to the defense budget, which includes money for the military as well as the nuclear weapons elements of the Department of Energy.
Source: Ryan Browne | CNN
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