Aid axed as US forces get £43bn boost

DONALD Trump plans to increase US military spending by 9 per cent as part of the biggest build-up of the armed forces since the Reagan administration.

The £43billion rise will be funded by huge cuts to other departments such as foreign aid.

Tonight he is due to address Congress in his first foray into legislation with tax reform and scrapping Barack Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act.

Increases in spending for law enforcement and the military come even though the US already spends more on defence than any other country at roughly £481billion annually.

According to officials, there will be significant cuts to departments such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department.

Mr Trump has said he does not want to cut Medicaid and Medicare, the statefunded welfare programmes, yet some benefits are likely to be axed.

He wants to put ‘America first’ by focusing on defence and law enforcement – and not sending cash abroad.