💬 Discussion

Trump unveils plans to build a “Golden Dome” around the USA

Wednesday, May 21

Image: Northrop Grumman

The US government wants to replicate Harry Potter & co.’s ability to create a forcefield—but instead of Hogwarts, it would cover the entire continental US.

President Trump yesterday unveiled plans for a Golden Dome missile defense shield, which would detect, track, and potentially intercept incoming missiles, including nuclear weapons. If realized, it would mark the first time that the US put weapons in space.

  • Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Golden Dome will be made up of ground-based components—ex: missile interceptors—and space-based components—ex: tracking satellites—designed to protect the US (and potentially Canada).

The Golden question—is it necessary?

Some say yes…Trump admin officials say the US needs to shift its missile defense policy away from its current focus on shooting down a handful of slower missiles shot by rogue states like North Korea or Iran, and towards adversaries like Russia and China who have major stockpiles and advanced hypersonic/ICBM technology (including missiles that can travel from Moscow to New York in ~30 minutes). And since both countries are either increasingly issuing nuclear threats (Russia), or rapidly and vastly expanding their nuclear arsenal (China), the US should proactively defend itself.

Others say no…Critics of the Golden Dome express doubts about the plausibility—and immense cost—of providing full missile coverage for the entire continental US. They also argue the Golden Dome is unnecessary, since the US military has already invested in protection from any potential incoming missiles via radars and ground-based interceptors.

Big picture: President Trump has said the project would cost $175 billion (an initial $25 billion is set aside in his “big, beautiful bill”)—while a separate estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office pegged the cost at up to $542 billion over the next 20 years to build and maintain (though that figure could fall as launch costs improve).

Looking ahead…Trump has set what analysts are calling an ambitious target of having the Golden Dome operational before his second term ends.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support President Trump’s plan to construct a Golden Dome missile defense system?

See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →

Democratic donkey symbol

Sprinkles from the Left

  • Some commentators argue that there’s little doubt the United States is at risk from missile attacks—but it’s unclear whether Golden Dome could eliminate that vulnerability with modern technology, or just throw money at an unsolvable problem.
  • Others contend that US missile defense policy has long recognized the importance of mutual vulnerability among nuclear peers—and in this day and age, it seems unwise to dramatically jolt the strategic balance with a massive missile defense program.
Republican elephant symbol

Sprinkles from the Right

  • Some commentators argue that America’s existing missile-defense system cannot easily defeat some of our adversaries’ more modern, sophisticated weapons—so Congress must quickly and fully fund the development of the Golden Dome to boost our capabilities.
  • Others contend that with China and Russia investing heavily in missile capabilities, particularly on the hypersonic front, Trump is right to push for an advanced missile defense shield—especially since the tech to make it happen is now finally possible.
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