The key facts

  • Axios, citing sources, reports a risk of scrapping or freezing the Golden Dome and the Golden Fleet
  • The $1.5 trillion budget can no longer be approved by simple majority
  • Investigations into the Iran operation and impeachment of Pete Hegseth are possible

What Axios sources report

A number of flagship military projects of US President Donald Trump — including the Golden Dome missile defense system and the Golden Fleet program — may be scrapped or frozen after Republicans lost their majority in Congress in the midterm elections. Axios reports this citing sources; a retelling of the publication is provided by Gazeta.Ru.

The budget and possible investigations

The key practical consequence of the change in majority concerns procedure: the fast-track mechanism for approving the $1.5 trillion defense budget by simple majority is now unavailable, so the prospects for its approval are described in the publication as slim. Beyond the fate of the funding, a Democratic victory, according to Axios sources, could trigger sweeping investigations into the operation in Iran and a possible impeachment of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

Background on the Golden Dome

Trump and Hegseth announced the allocation of funds for building the Golden Dome in May of last year; at the same time, the American leader said he had received a phone call from Canada, whose authorities wanted to take part in the project. The project drew reactions beyond the United States: the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that the Russian military would monitor the implementation of the American plan and the possibility of deploying the system in Greenland, while China and Russia had previously spoken out against the project.