Reagan's Defense Buildup (1981-1987)
President Reagan increased defense spending by 66% over nine years, from $190 billion to $315 billion in inflation-adjusted terms. His largest single-year jump was 25% in 1981. He justified it as necessary to counter Soviet expansion, funding new weapons systems, increasing troop strength, and launching the Strategic Defense Initiative. The buildup strained the Soviet economy, which was already reeling from falling oil prices and stagnant growth.
Defense spending peaked at 6% of GDP. The U.S. deployed new intermediate-range missiles in Europe, rebuilt the Navy, and developed stealth technology.
The Soviet Union couldn't compete economically. Gorbachev implemented glasnost and perestroika, eventually leading to the USSR's collapse in 1991. Arms control agreements followed, including START I in 1991.
Trump's proposal would be even more dramatic than Reagan's—66% in one year versus Reagan's 66% over nine years. But Reagan faced an actual superpower adversary spending comparable amounts. Today's Russia spends $75 billion. China spends $248 billion—significant but not Soviet-level parity. The question is whether Trump has identified a comparable threat or whether this is fiscal recklessness.