Trump wants to take more money from the military for a border wall - here's what could get cut

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Trump wants to take more money from the military for a border wall - here's what could get cut
Trump border wall prototypes
  • The Trump administration is reportedly planning to divert another $3.8 billion in military spending meant for the National Guard and programs like the F-35 fighter to fund a border wall.
  • The additional $3.8 billion budget request comes after the White House was reportedly preparing to divert $7.2 billion from military construction and counter-drug projects.
  • Here are the military projects from which that $3.8 billion is expected be diverted.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Funding for President Donald Trump's barrier on the US-Mexico border was initially expected to divert $7.2 billion from the Defense Department's budget, but it may siphon even more money from several military programs.

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According to news reports on Thursday, the Trump administration is preparing to divert an additional $3.8 billion from the National Guard and programs like the F-35 fighter. The move comes after the administration requested $2 billion for the border barrier as part of the 2021 budget, which was submitted to Congress on Monday.

The $7.2 billion figure reported earlier in January was five times greater than initial $1.4 billion Congress allotted for the border project in the 2019 and 2020 federal budgets. The White House initially demanded $5 billion for the construction project in 2018, before it accepted the lower figure from Democrats amid the longest ever federal government shutdown.

Roughly $3.7 billion of that $7.2 billion request is expected to come from military construction projects and the remaining $3.5 billion from military counter-drug operations.

Here's where the additional $3.8 billion would come from to fund the southern border barrier:

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$1.3 billion from the National Guard and Reserve components.

$1.3 billion from the National Guard and Reserve components.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

Two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the US Marine Corps.

Two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the US Marine Corps.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

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Two MV-22 Ospreys.

Two MV-22 Ospreys.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

One Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane.

One Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

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Two C-130Js.

Two C-130Js.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

Eight MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Eight MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Source: Roll Call, Defense One

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