Donald Trump unveils $175 billion 'Golden Dome' as he reveals plans to put US weapons in space
20 May 2025, 22:58
Donald Trump has unveiled plans for his Golden Dome missile defence system - which he says will put American weapons in space for the first time.
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Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the “cutting-edge” system will use "space-based sensors and interceptors” and be functional within the next four years.
Based on Israel’s Iron Dome, the system will be able to identify attacks targeting the United States and shoot them out of the sky before they land.
According to Trump, the system will be "capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world".
The President told reporters the system will cost around $25 billion “to get started”, with costs eventually rising to “about $175 billion.”
Experts think this estimate is on the low side, with some putting the cost of parts alone at $542 billion over the next 20 years.
According to Trump, the US won’t be alone in paying for the system, with Canada’s leadership allegedly calling him to say “they want to be part of it".
General Michael Guetlein will lead the project, which, despite Trump’s timeline, is still in the “conceptual phase,” the Senate heard on Tuesday.
The announcement comes after a Trump official suggested that former First Lady Jill Biden should be charged with 'elder abuse' over her knowledge of Joe Biden’s deteriorating health.
Taking to social media, Leo Terrell, a Department of Justice lawyer and Fox News contributor, suggested that Joe Biden's wife should face legal charges for not revealing the extent of her husband’s illness.
"Elder Abuse! Criminal Charges??" he wrote on X, reposting an image of the former First Lady sitting in the President's desk aboard Air Force One.
The shocking suggestion comes just hours after Joe Biden shared a touching picture alongside his wife Jill in his first personal post since his cancer diagnosis emerged.