The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) raised eyebrows last week when it found $1.9 billion which had been misplaced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

DOGE is now turning its attention to the Pentagon, and that has Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warning of sizable cuts.

Defense secretary seeks to reduce $850 annual billion budget by 8%

According to the New York Post, Hegseth has composed a memo calling for top military commanders and the directors of several defense agencies to come up with plans for spending reductions.

Specifically, the secretary is looking for ways to downsize the Defense Department's $850 billion annual budget by roughly 8%.

Pete Hegseth orders defense leadership to draw up plans for steep budget cuts as DOGE enters the Pentagon: report https://t.co/SN5ArHfu1X pic.twitter.com/QgEBzvxaTv

— New York Post (@nypost) February 19, 2025

However, Hegseth laid out 17 areas that will be off limits from cutbacks, including military operations along America's southern border.

Also immune is the modernization of nuclear weapons, missile defense systems, submarine acquisition, one-way attack drones, and other munitions.

Trump hopes that reduced global tensions can lessen need for military spending

"The time for preparation is over — we must act urgently to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence," Hegseth was quoted as stating.

"Our budget will resource the fighting force we need, cease unnecessary defense spending, reject excessive bureaucracy, and drive actionable reform including progress on the audit," he went on to add.

The Post noted how President Donald Trump recently suggested that military spending can be paired back "when things settle down" on the world stage.

"I’m going to meet with China and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular those two, and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost $1 trillion on the military," the president said when speaking with reporters in the Oval Office late last week.

Hegseth implements executive order regarding transgender military personnel

This is not the only time Hegseth has generated headlines in recent days as The Hill reported last weekend that he circulated another memo regarding transgender soldiers.

"The Department must ensure it is building ‘One Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence," Hegseth wrote.

"Efforts to split our troops along the lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated," the secretary continued.