According to the news, they think the cuts will all come from DEI money

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5303947/hegseth-trump-d...

They listed 17 things they want to spend MORE money on.

Here's the list they want to stuff more money into.

1. Southwest Border Activities

2. Combating Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Western Hemisphere

3. Audit

4. Nuclear Modernization (including NC3)

5. Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs)

6. Virginia-class Submarines

7. Executable Surface Ships

8. Homeland Missile Defense

9. One-Way Attack/Autonomous Systems

10. Counter-small UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Initiatives

11. Priority Critical Cybersecurity

12. Munitions

13. Core Readiness, including full DRT (training) funding

14. Munitions and Energetics Organic Industrial Bases

15. Executable INDOPACOM (India Pacific Command) MILCON (military construction)

16. Combatant Command support agency funding for INDOPACOM, NORTHCOM, (Northern Command), SPACECOM, (Space Command) STRATCOM, (Strategic Command) CYBERCOM, (Cyber Command) and TRANSCOM (Transportation Command)

17. Medical Private-Sector Care

They're not cutting the budget, just rearranging spending priorities (i.e., more to the border -- as if that is where our biggest military threat will come from).

In fact, the upcoming Budget calls for an _increase_ in the defense budget.

Indeed. It's moreso the case that they view everything as "waste and corruption" and are making everyone miserable, but if you look at the (currently) top thread[1], it's a deliberate move at that.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43120677

Your article points out that that's a rare topic where there is a disconnect among the Administration. Not everyone in Trump/Elon's orbit seems to be aligned on what to do about military spending. DOGE has so far steered clear of it.

They are definitely not as laser focused on that as they are on nickling and diming workers and removing database columns that deal with diversity and inclusion.

What a clown show:

> The memo, dated Tuesday, calls for military leaders to provide a proposal for eight percent in budget cuts each year for the next five years. The proposals for the massive cuts to the Pentagon’s budget of approximately $850 billion are due by February 24, less than one week after Hegseth issued the memo.

> It was issued the day before President Donald Trump endorsed the House’s budget plan which includes a $100 billion increase in defense spending, suggesting a major disconnect within the administration. Hegseth himself called for an increase to the defense budget one week ago. While visiting Stuttgart, Germany, Hegseth said, “I think the US needs to spend more than the Biden administration was willing to, who historically underinvested in the capabilities of our military.”