Trump Ripped Over Plan To Build $175 Billion 'Golden Dome' Defense System Over The U.S.

President Donald Trump was criticized after touting his plan to build a "Golden Dome" missile defense system over the United States to the tune of $175 billion despite all that talk about the importance of cutting federal spending.

The Golden Dome system is designed to combine ground- and space-based technologies to counter missile threats at all four critical phases: pre-launch, early flight, midcourse, and terminal descent. Its goal is to detect and neutralize threats before they can reach their targets.

Seated beside a poster featuring a gold-painted map of the continental U.S. and artistic renderings of missile interceptions, Trump said he anticipates the system will be “fully operational before the end of my term." He also claimed it will be capable of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”

He said:

"It's incredible when you think of it shooting bullets out of the air. I'm also pleased to report that the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' will include $25 billion for the Golden Dome to help construction get underway."

"That's the initial sort of down...posit [deposit] ... and we have about $175 billion total cost when it's completed."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Many called out the idea that at least one person referred to as little more than a "vanity project."

The Golden Dome concept draws partial inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been intercepting rockets and missiles since 2011. However, experts question whether a similarly comprehensive system can effectively defend a landmass as vast as the United States.

Marion Messmer, a senior research fellow at London-based Chatham House, noted in an interview with The New York Times that ultimately, Israel's Iron Dome is successful because the country's "geography is much smaller and the angles and directions and the types of missiles are more limited."

Officials caution that current U.S. defense systems are struggling to keep up with the growing sophistication of adversary weaponry.

A recent briefing from the Defense Intelligence Agency warned that missile threats are expected to “expand in scale and sophistication,” noting that China and Russia are actively developing technologies designed to exploit vulnerabilities in U.S. missile defense.