President Donald Trump’s 2026 federal budget proposal includes sweeping cuts across domestic agencies and so-called “woke programs,” but one area is set for a major expansion: the creation of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system — a massive, U.S.-based version of Israel’s Iron Dome.

The proposal, which outlines a staggering $113 billion increase to the Department of Defense budget — a 13% jump — includes a down payment on what the document calls a “next-generation missile defense shield that would protect the U.S. from missile threats coming from any adversary.”

“Israel has it, other places have it, and the United States should have it, too,” Trump declared during his March address to Congress, in which he formally asked lawmakers to fund the initiative.

Modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which intercepts incoming rockets mid-air and has been credited with saving countless lives from Hamas and Hezbollah attacks, the “Golden Dome” has long been a pet project of Trump’s. He signed an executive order on the concept shortly after retaking office in January and has since pushed the Pentagon to fast-track development.

Yet serious questions remain — not least among them how such a system could be implemented across a country the size of the United States, which does not face the same kind of short-range missile threats from neighboring countries as Israel does.

Critics are also questioning who might benefit. According to a New York Times report, SpaceX, the aerospace company helmed by Trump ally Elon Musk, is poised to be a major contractor in the program. The company manufactures both rocket interceptors and surveillance technology, key components for any missile shield.

The news has triggered backlash on Capitol Hill. Dozens of House Democrats have demanded an investigation into Musk’s involvement in the procurement process, raising concerns about favoritism, transparency, and conflicts of interest.

“We cannot allow our defense contracts to become a political payback scheme,” one Democratic lawmaker said. “This is about national security — not lining the pockets of the president’s billionaire friends.”

Despite these objections, the “Golden Dome” initiative is gaining traction among defense hawks, who argue that an American missile shield is long overdue given the rise of hypersonic and ballistic missile technology in China, Russia, and North Korea.

The Trump administration insists the budget proposal represents a strategic shift toward “hard power” and homeland protection, even as it slashes funding for agencies including the EPA, Department of Education, and State Department.

Whether the plan moves forward depends on Congress, which must approve the president’s budget.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)