Why Does Trump Want the Biggest Defense Budget Ever? |
Defense Spending
Why Does Trump Want the Biggest Defense Budget Ever?
Plus: Trump’s budget ignores the deficit, NASA’s Artemis program faces delays and rising costs, and a listener asks about libertarian alternatives to Medicare for All.
Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch | 4.6.2026 6:00 PM
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This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss President Donald Trump's escalating rhetoric around the war in Iran, including a profanity-laced Easter weekend Truth Social post. They examine what it reveals about a conflict with shifting timelines, unclear objectives, and little public support, along with the domestic consequences of the war, including rising gas prices surging above $4 per gallon. The panel also weighs Trump's proposal for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, the largest in modern history, and what it says about the administration's priorities.
Next, the panel turns to the broader federal budget, where rising spending continues without any serious attempt to address the deficit. The editors then check in on NASA's Artemis program, weighing the excitement of returning to the moon against persistent delays, cost overruns, and the growing role of private space companies. They also answer a listener's question about what libertarian alternatives to Medicare for All might look like, focusing on deregulation, catastrophic coverage, and restoring price signals in the health care system.
Reason is hiring! Check out the two open roles on the video team now:
https://reason.org/jobs/associate-producer/
https://reason.org/jobs/producer/
0:00—Trump's Truth Social Easter rant
14:57—The $1.5 trillion defense budget
22:36—The New York Times student debt story
28:55—Listener question on Medicare for All
43:41—Analyzing Artemis
51:58—Weekly cultural recommendations
Mentioned in the podcast:
"'I Am Blowing Up Everything,'" by Eric Boehm
"Ro Khanna: Congress Has Surrendered on War," by Nick Gillespie
"Trump's Call for a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Is Irresponsible, Wasteful, and Unrealistic," by Eric Boehm
"10 Years Ago Today, Trump Promised To Eliminate the National Debt. Instead, It Has Doubled," by Eric Boehm
"Debt Denialists," by Matt Welch
"Generational Warfare," by Nick Gillespie and Veronique de Rugy
"Why I Prefer French Health Care," by Matt Welch
"Artemis II Launches a New Era of Lunar Exploration," by Natalie Dowzicky
"NASA's Artemis Program Is a Monument to Government Waste. It Can Only Go Up From Here," by Quade MacDonald
"The Zendaya Romance The Drama Is Weirder and More Uncomfortable Than You Expect," by Peter Suderman
Green Lantern/Green Arrow, by Dennis O'Neill and Neal Adams
Captain America #156
Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian Keyser
What are we consuming this week?
Matt Welch
Staatsburgh State Historic Site
Nick Gillespie
Tehran, created by Moshe Zonder
Katherine Mangu-Ward
Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States, by James C. Scott
Peter Suderman
The DramaNEXT: Ro Khanna: Congress Has Surrendered on War
Peter Suderman is features editor at Reason.
Katherine Mangu-Ward is editor in chief of Reason.
Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.
Matt Welch is an editor at large at Reason.
Defense SpendingIranWarDonald TrumpNational DebtStudent LoansHealth CareNASASpaceShare on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
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