Letter: Trump’s war funding is strip-mining the American people

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Recently, our President’s war budget was funded for the first time in history at one trillion dollars.

Obama reported that in his own term of office, the level of U.S. “defense” budgeting was higher than the world’s next ten largest national defense budgets combined.

Now, Pistol Pete Hegseth wants a supplemental war appropriation of $200 billion for the Iran War. (“Hegseth on seeking $200 billion for Iran war: ‘That number could move,’” Axios, 3-19-26)

Pentagon Pete says he wants to be “properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is refilled … above and beyond.”

Turns out, that short-term “supplemental” $200 billion is more than the annual defense budget of every other country except China and the U.S.

Our President is using these war funds to purchase personal military play toys, saying he might use them to hit the oil infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg Island “just for fun.” As far as future “fun,” he says about Cuba, “I can do anything I want with it.”

Maybe take it to the course with you like a brand-new golf bag, huh Mr. President?

Kimball Shinkoskey

Woods Cross, Utah