President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States needs a missile defense system akin to Israel’s Iron Dome.
“We need the Golden Dome by the way in this world, though this world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago and a lot safer than it was six months ago,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
Trump spoke beside graphics of the proposed Golden Dome, including a quote from the president stating, “This is a Very Dangerous World. We’re going to protect our citizens like never before.”
Trump says that the U.S. needs the Golden Dome pic.twitter.com/LEisXM6GnI
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 12, 2025
Trump joked that the reduction of costs in Medicaid, Medicare, and pharmaceuticals could pay for the Golden Dome.
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“That’ll easily pay for the Golden Dome, and we will have a lot of money left over,” Trump said.
Trump signed an executive order in January initiating the construction of the missile defense system that would “provide for the common defense of its citizens and the Nation by deploying and maintaining a next-generation missile defense shield.”
“Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems and their own homeland integrated air and missile defense capabilities,” Trump said.
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The order added that President Ronald Reagan endeavored to build such a system to defend against nuclear attacks, but that his program was cancelled before it reached its goal.
While the Iron Dome is highly effective in protecting Israel — a country roughly the size of New Jersey — a “Golden Dome” would face far greater logistical challenges due to the vast size of the United States.
President Trump said that the U.S. should have a “Golden Dome,” which is inspired by Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
A Space Force general said that such a project is of the magnitude of the Manhattan Project, the secretive World War II program that led to the first atomic bomb and the development of nuclear weapons.
“This is on the order of magnitude of the Manhattan Project, and it’s going to take concerted effort from the very top of our government. It’s going to take a national will to bring all this together,” Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, said, Fox News reported.
Israel expects to roll out its “Iron Beam” laser air defense system by the end of 2025, which will drastically reduce the costs of intercepting missiles, reported Jewish News Syndicate
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In March, aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin posted a promotional video of a future Golden Dome system.
“Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy,” the company posted. Thanks to President Trump’s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future.”
Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy. Thanks to President @realDonaldTrump‘s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future. pic.twitter.com/vyXHzpbTw2
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) March 19, 2025
