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Mother Jones Daily Newsletter
 
 

March 20, 2026

$200 billion. That's what Pete Hegseth is asking for in additional Pentagon funding to continue its devastating war in Iran. As Hegseth so elegantly told reporters this week, "It takes money to kill bad guys."

If the Trump administration weren't so hellbent on "death and destruction," what else could that money pay for? My colleagues and I ran the numbers, and boy, it turns out $200 billion can do a whole lot. Here's a sample:

2.8 million public school teacher salaries

2,857 luxury 737 jets, bedroom included

378 years of federal public broadcasting funding

500 more White House ballrooms

1,779,628 Washington Post salaries

And plenty more. Take a maddening look here.

—Inae Oh

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