The most head-turning elements of Trump's 2027 budget proposal
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President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on March 26, 2026, as the U.S. and Israel continue a war against Iran that began Feb. 28. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump's 2027 budget proposal is here — and it suggests changes to how the U.S. government operates.
Why it matters: Many of the decisions align with Trump's long-term goals of consolidating the federal government, pushing out the "woke" agenda, and doubling down on AI and new military technology.
What they're saying: "Savings are achieved by reducing or eliminating woke, weaponized and wasteful programs, and by returning State and local responsibilities to their respective governments," a White House fact sheet says.
The proposal is a starting point. The House and Senate review and then create their own budget resolutions, which must be negotiated and merged.
- Congress then sends the final approved funding bills to the president for a final signature or veto.
Read more below on eye-popping aspects of the budget proposal.
Privatizing TSA
The proposal includes a $52 million cut to TSA in order to begin privatizing the agency and reduce costs.
- Small airports would be required to enroll in the Screening Partnership Program, where TSA pays for private screeners to work at designated airports. Nearly a dozen airports currently participate in the program, according to the Associated Press, with San Francisco International Airport being the largest.
- Trump's proposal offers no guidelines for what it considers small airports, nor a timeline for when the changeover would occur.
Huge increase for ICE and the military
Trump's budget proposes $1.5 trillion for the military in the 2027 fiscal year, a 44% increase over the amount appropriated for 2026.
- The proposal includes a pay raise for the military of between 5 and 7 percent, depending on rank.
- It features billions in additional funding for ICE, CBP, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Secret Service.
"Golden Dome" and next-gen weapons
Zoom in: The defense budget also looks to fund the "Golden Dome" missile defense system, new shipbuilding and AI next-gen weapons.
- The Golden Dome, estimated to cost $175 billion, is a hemispheric missile shield that aims to block hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons and more — even if they're launched from Earth or space.
- The proposal requests $65.8 billion to build 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships, which would be known as "Trump's Golden Fleet."
Massive cuts to government agencies
Zoom out: The budget proposes a $73 billion in overall spending cuts compared to 2026.
- The Small Business Administration, National Science Foundation and Environmental Protection Agency saw more than 50% in cuts compared to 2026 numbers.
- The cuts also impact the Labor Department, the National Institutes of Health, FEMA, and will eliminate the National Endowment for Democracy, which aims to advance democracy around the globe.
Lunar base camp and visiting the moon
Trump's budget proposal requests $18.8 billion in discretionary spending for NASA — a 23% increase from 2026.
- This includes investing $731 million to help NASA's Artemis program put astronauts on the moon by 2028, and the establishment of a lunar base camp with an eye toward "a permanent outpost near the south pole of the Moon."
- Trump also wants to terminate 40 ongoing NASA programs to save approximately $3.4 billion dollars, including the Mars Sample Return mission. According to the proposal, the mission's goals could "be achieved by human missions to Mars."
Make D.C. "beautiful"
The Trump proposal calls for a $10 billion investment into the Presidential Capital Stewardship Program in order to make Washington, D.C. "safe, clean, and beautiful again."
- The program, which would be under the National Park Service, would be used for construction and "beautification" projects that would aim to improve safety, accessibility, and "enhance architectural grandeur so that Americans can once again be proud of the Nation's capital," the proposal says.
Changes to housing, K-12, food assistance programs
The budget proposal includes cuts that could impact everyday life.
- It proposes replacing the Biden era "Continuum of Care" homeless assistance program with a "more targeted" $4 billion Emergency Solutions Grant program.
- The proposal would also eliminate other housing programs impacting individuals with AIDs, Native Americans, native Hawaiians and others.
It also slashes millions for K-12 assistance programs, clean energy elements of the Department of Energy's budget, and senior employment and food assistance grants.
- Generally, the budget aims to cut programs that direct federal funds to helping low-income communities, AP reports.
Yes, but: The proposal offers a $10.5 billion increase to Federal Pell Grants to help low-income students with education.
- It also features more than $1 billion in energy production and water security programs and adds $5 million into a new program to help youth transitioning out of foster care.
