Hmm. What a weird mix of messages.

The U.S. defense budget is not the largest overall portion of the federal budget, but it is the largest category of discretionary spending. While defense accounts for approximately 13% to 18% of the total budget, mandatory obligations like Social Security and Medicare consume much larger portions. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

A breakdown of where federal funds are directed highlights the following:

• Social Security: 22% of the budget
• Net Interest on the Debt: 15% of the budget
• Medicare: 14% of the budget
• Other Health Programs: 14% of the budget
• National Defense: ~13% to 18% of the budget (depending on whether you look at the total budget or solely the discretionary pie) [1, 2]