Most Voters Say the Proposed $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Is Too High

The Pentagon has requested $1.5 trillion for next year’s Department of Defense budget — a record-high amount. This request comes as the Trump administration’s war on Iran grows increasingly unpopular with the American public.

In a new survey designed with the Costs of War Project and fielded by YouGov, ReThink Media found that 59% of voters believe the proposed $1.5 trillion budget is too high, with 40% saying it’s “much too high.” 25% of voters said the amount is “about right,” and just 3% said it is too low. 13% were not sure. [View the survey toplines and crosstabs here.]

These findings are consistent with a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in late April 2026, which found that 65% of US adults oppose increasing military spending from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. Taken together, the two polls — fielded independently, using different methodologies — paint a clear picture: a strong majority of Americans are skeptical of the proposed budget increase.

Opposition spans demographic groups — but the partisan divide is stark

Opposition to the proposed budget is broad but not uniform. The sharpest dividing line is partisan: 87% of Democrats say the budget is too high, including 70% who say it is much too high. Among Republicans, just 31% say too high, while 50% say about right.

Younger and older voters diverge more than might be expected. Among voters aged 18–29, 69% say the budget is too high — but that number drops to 50% among voters 65 and older, who are more likely to say the spending level is about right.

Notably, opposition is stronger among Black (69%) and Hispanic (66%) voters than among white voters (56%), with particularly high shares saying the budget is “much too high.”

These findings suggest there is broad public skepticism about the proposed Pentagon budget — one that crosses partisan, generational, and demographic lines even as it divides along them. At a moment when the administration is escalating military spending and engagement abroad, a clear majority of American voters are not on board with the price tag.

For more on this data — or to discuss how our polling and research can support your work — reach out to us at analysis@rethinkmedia.org.

This survey is based on 1,006 interviews of registered voters conducted by YouGov online, May 6–8, 2026. The margin of error is ±3.5%.

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This research was made possible with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, whose funding supports our broader militarism work. The work is also supported by Purdue University.