Trump Defense Budget Falls Short of Promised Build-Up

President Donald Trump has promised the U.S. military “beautiful” planes, ships, and equipment, but his $603 billion, 2018 defense budget offers only a modest build-up, experts say.

The budget would boost military and border security spending as it makes deep funding cuts to United States diplomacy and foreign aid that critics say could harm national security. But it does not provide, or even lay the groundwork, for the buildup that Trump promoted during the campaign.

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