President Trump announced Tuesday that his administration has officially selected an overall design for the "Golden Dome" missile defense system he hopes will be deployed during his time in office. Republicans have included $25 billion in initial funding for the program in the massive reconciliation package currently making its way through the House.
Flanked by lawmakers and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said the funding will fulfill a campaign pledge to build a cutting-edge defense shield to protect the U.S. from the threat of foreign missile attack. The new system will deploy "next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space," and potentially include Canada within its defensive umbrella.
Trump said the program, which will be led by Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, will cost an estimated $175 billion and take two and half to three years to complete.
Analysts have projected much higher costs for the project, upwards of $500 billion, and have warned of huge technological challenges. Asked about those higher estimates, Trump indicated that he isn't worried about the cost. "We can afford to do it," he said. "You know, we took in $5.1 trillion in the last four days in the Middle East," Trump added, referring to long-term investments in the U.S. economy he says were promised by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during his recent diplomatic trip to the Persian Gulf.