Donald Trump unveils USD 1.5 trillion US military budget plan, says 'We need it'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday local time announced plans to increase US military spending to USD 15 trillion next year saying the additional investment is needed to strengthen the countrys defence capabilities while supporting employment through domestic manufacturingSpeaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit Trump said his administration had already made a record investment in the US military and intends to further expand defence spending in the coming yearWeve invested a record USD 1 trillion in the United States military and next year Im proud to say and Pete War Secretary we have to get moving on this a USD 15 trillion were going up to We need it Trump saidTrump links defence spending to job creationTrump argued that higher military expenditure would also benefit the US economy because defence equipment and related systems would be manufactured domestically He said increased production would support American industries and create jobs across the countryIts all made in the USA so its not fully a cost you know its a cost we gotta take something but its called jobs and when you think of it that way he saidThe President also referred to his previous term in office highlighting what he described as significant investments in the armed forcesI built the military in my first term and I used it in my second term Trump saidPresident refers to Venezuela military operationDuring his remarks Trump also referred to a US military operation involving Venezuela earlier this year He claimed the operation was completed quickly and said the financial cost had been offset many times overAs you know Venezuela was that was actually 48 minutes but lets call it one day and weve paid for the cost of that war 50 times over more than 50 times over already Trump saidTrump was referring to a January 2026 US military operation that resulted in the ousting and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro He claimed the mission lasted exactly 48 minutes and said revenue from seized Venezuelan oil had already covered the cost of the intervention more than 50 times overComments come amid tensions with IranTrumps announcement comes as tensions continue between the United States and Iran During the summit he was asked whether he had set a deadline for Tehran before authorising potential military strikes on civilian infrastructure inside the Islamic RepublicResponding to the question Trump declined to specify a timeline but suggested that Iranian authorities were aware of the consequences if negotiations failedI dont like giving deadlines but they pretty much knowthey know the story They better behaveEarlier warning of possible strikesTrumps latest comments follow an interview with Fox News on Tuesday in which he warned that the United States could begin targeting Iranian power plants and bridges unless Tehran returned to the negotiating tableHe also cautioned that Iran would face severe consequences if it failed to reach an agreement with WashingtonWere going to hit them very hard tomorrow night Were going to hit them very hard the night after and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants Next week comes the bridges Were going to knock out all their power plants Were going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate Trump told Fox NewsWith inputs from ANI