Trump’s Plans for the Rest of the World Are Truly Unhinged
SlateFEB 22
Trump Unveils 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Program
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Image copyright: Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Trump's Golden Dome is critical to counter emerging threats like China's FOBS missiles, which evade current defenses. With research already underway, funding secured, and the Missile Defense Agency tackling complex integration, all that's needed now is implementation. With DIA's alarming 2035 projections, the Golden Dome is a strategic necessity to protect the homeland.
Democratic narrative
While Trump is right to counter threats like China's FOBS, the scale of his Golden Dome idea is unrealistic. Modern defenses, like Israel's Iron Dome, work for small areas, but covering four million square miles of U.S. territory is impractical, requiring tens of thousands of batteries. Advanced adversaries could overwhelm or bypass it with decoys, risking an arms race. Congress should only fund the most practical, targeted defenses required.