Trump's Golden Dome missile defence system may cause a staggering amount more than had initially been predicted. The Golden Dome will cost around $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate over two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
What's worse, it's possible that the system may not even work as intended. The Golden Dome is designed to shield the US against ballistic and cruise missiles, much like how the Iron Dome works for Israel. However, the CBO (via the BBC) reports that a full-scale attack by Russia or China could make the Golden Dome vulnerable.
Acquiring the parts necessary for the dome would cost over $1 trillion, as the US would need to buy interceptor layers as well as a space-based missile warning and tracking system. "The President's so-called 'Golden Dome' is nothing more than a massive giveaway to ​defense contractors paid for entirely by working Americans," said Democratic senator Jeff Merkley. Trump had initially claimed that the Golden Dome would require just $25 billion as an initial investment, with a total cost of $175 billion for the project's completion.
Trump ordered the defence department to look into and draw up plans for a system which could protect the US against missile attacks, which he believed to be the "most catastrophic threat" facing the country. It's unlikely he's going to be deterred from putting the Golden Dome in place, no matter the cost.