An F/A-18F Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Eastern Mediterranean, March 2, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Thursday did not rule out asking Congress for an additional $200 billion to cover the costs of his war in Iran, a significant sum that will likely be challenging to pass through both chambers.
“It’s a small price to pay to make sure we stay on top,” he said when asked about the number first reported Wednesday night by the Washington Post and has since been confirmed by several other news organizations.
The White House referred States Newsroom’s questions about a possible additional spending request to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not immediately respond to an email.
When asked specifically about the $200 billion figure, Trump did not respond to a reporter’s question or say the number was incorrect. Earlier news reports projected the request to be around $50 billion, a much smaller amount.
Trump also indicated he may need additional money for other military operations. And while he didn’t mention Cuba specifically, he has talked repeatedly in recent days about “taking over” the island nation.
“We are asking for many reasons, even beyond what we are talking about in Iran,” Trump said. “It’s a very unstable world, and the military equipment, the power of some of these weapons is unthinkable. You don’t even want to know about it. Oh, you can end this thing in two seconds if you want. But we are very reasonable.”
Any emergency funding request would have to pass the House, where Republicans have an extremely slim majority, and the Senate, where the GOP has a majority, but the legislation cannot clear the 60-vote legislative hurdle without bipartisan support.
‘Ridiculous’
Democrats were overwhelmingly opposed to Trump’s war in Iran from its inception and is unlikely to provide Republicans with the votes needed to advance such a enormous emergency spending proposal through the upper house.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said shortly after Trump’s remarks in the speech that such a request would be “ridiculous.”
“Even a fraction of that is unacceptable for a war without a plan, without a goal and without the support of the American people,” he said. “Let’s be clear: If Trump wants $200 billion, it means he believes we could be at war with Iran for a very, very long time.”
Schumer said the funds could instead be used to lower health care premiums, education, lend a hand people cover rising grocery costs and improve infrastructure.
“This is an indefensible number, one of the most wasteful and ill-considered budget requests I have ever heard in the Senate,” he said.
Defense spending already secured
No path forward in Congress would leave the Trump administration with spending approved by lawmakers.
In January, Congress approved $838.7 billion for the Department of Defense through the annual government funding process. Republicans approved the Pentagon to spend another $150 billion on specific programs, such as air and missile defense as well as shipbuilding, in their “big, beautiful” bill passed in 2025.
The funds from the GOP tax cuts and spending package were to be spread over the next several years.
Ashley Murray contributed to this report.
