Trump unveils 2026 US Budget proposal, seeking substantial cuts across govt

President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled his budget for the 2026 fiscal year, proposing about $163 billion in cuts to key federal education, health, housing and labor programs while still seeking to boost spending on the military.

The blueprint showcased Trump's conservative vision for Washington while formalizing his disruptive reorganization already underway, as he shutters entire offices and dismisses scores of federal workers without the explicit approval of Congress.

Here's what else to know:

• Major health cutbacks: The budget proposes massive cuts at the National Institutes of Health and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, but it includes $500 million for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s signature initiative: Make America Healthy Again. The CDC's budget would be cut by more than half, from roughly $9 billion to $4 billion.

• Significant reduction in education: Education spending would fall by $12 billion under Trump's 2026 blueprint, with the most significant cut coming from a plan to "streamline" Title I money for high-poverty schools and other K-12 programs.

• Major changes to the FBI: The Trump budget proposed cutting more than $500 million from the FBI, declaring that the administration "is committed to undoing the weaponisation" of the agency that it said occurred under the Biden administration.

• A boost in defence: Even as many domestic programs see budget cuts, Trump's 2026 plan proposes increasing military spending by 13%, to $1.01 trillion for 2026.

• Safety net cuts: Trump proposed slashing some federal safety net programs, confirming early budget documents reviewed last week by The New York Times. Those recommended cuts include trimming more than $26 billion in federal rental assistance.