Trump fiscal year 2018 budget shifts spending towards defence

US president Donald's Trump inaugural budget revealed a sharp shift towards in the country's priorities towards defence and domestic security.

For fiscal year 2018, which begins on 1 October 2017, Trump asked for $603.0bn to be spent on the military and another $462.0bn for non-defence programs.

The former marked a $54bn boost versus the previous year, with the Department of Defense set to receive a 10.0% increase in funding and the Department of Homeland Security a 6.8% increase, to be financed via reductions to a raft of civilian programs.

"A budget that puts America first must make the safety of our people its number one priority--because without safety, there can be no prosperity," Trump said.

"The core of my first Budget Blueprint is the rebuilding of our Nation's military without adding to our Federal deficit. There is a $54bn increase in defense spending in 2018 that is offset by targeted reductions elsewhere. This defense funding is vital to rebuilding and preparing our Armed Forces for the future," he added.

The full budget, including details on taxed and entitlements, would be published in May.

His budget fell within the ceiling set for discretionary spending in FY 2018 but breached the $549bn cap set for defense.

On the opposite side of the ledger, the Department of Agriculture would see its discretionary budget slashed by 21%, that of the Department of Commerce by 16%, the Department of Education by 13%, the Department of Health and Human Services by 18%, the Department of Housing and Urban Development by 13.2%, the Department of Labor by 21%, the Department of State by 28%, the Department of Transportation by 13%, the Department of the Treasury by 4% and the Environmental Protection Agency by 31%.