By Newspot Nigeria Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has unveiled a sweeping $5.1 billion cut to the Department of Defense (DOD) budget, signaling an aggressive push to eliminate wasteful spending and redirect funds toward what he described as “mission-critical” needs.
In a video statement released Thursday evening, Hegseth credited the Department of Government Efficiency for helping to identify redundant and bloated expenditures. “That’s with a ‘B.’ $5.1 billion in DOD contracts for ancillary things like consulting and other nonessential services,” he emphasized. “We need this money to spend on better health care for our warfighters and their families.”
Among the canceled contracts is a staggering $1.8 billion consulting deal under the Defense Health Agency and a $500 million contract awarded to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for work reportedly duplicated by the Defense Information Systems Agency.
The cuts also extend to what Hegseth described as “ideological programs,” including 11 contracts related to climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In addition, Hegseth confirmed the suspension of $500 million in federal funding to two universities accused of tolerating antisemitism—this follows an earlier $70 million already withdrawn from three other institutions.
“If you’re keeping score at home, today’s cuts bring our running total to nearly $6 billion in wasteful spending over the first six weeks of this initiative,” Hegseth added, asserting that the reforms reflect the administration’s dedication to prioritizing national security and taxpayer accountability.
This announcement comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to clamp down on perceived inefficiencies and ideological overreach in government institutions, particularly in the wake of ongoing campus unrest and political scrutiny over defense contracts.
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