The True Cost of Trump’s Golden Dome
Donald Trump’s federal budget includes massive increases in military spending, including funding for a Star Wars–esque missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome.” Both Trump and the media are likely underestimating the cost of this boondoggle.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 30, 2025. (Allison Robbert / AFP via Getty Images)
The Senate is now working on its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the GOP megabill that the House of Representatives passed late last month. The final product will likely differ from the lower chamber’s legislation, mainly because some Senate Republicans object to the House version’s deficit increase and Medicaid cuts.
Not much disagreement is expected over the military spending portion of the bill. The legislation’s spending framework instructs the Senate Armed Services Committee to “increase the deficit by not more than $150,000,000,000” through policies under its jurisdiction. That matches the amount approved by the House Armed Services Committee (and later the full House), as you’ll see in the table below. What each chamber says the $150 billion should specifically buy may vary in places, but not when it comes to the big-ticket items like the “Golden Dome,” a missile system that’s among the president’s top priorities.
What $150 Billion Buys
As you’d expect, funding for the Golden Dome can be found in the Pentagon portion of the legislation (under Title II). This part of the bill is broken up into sections, which are summarized in the table below based on what they buy and ordered by their total cost. (The only exception is the “Other” row, which combines a couple lower-value sections.)
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