US President Donald Trump will seek to boost Pentagon spending by $54 billion in his first budget proposal and cut the same amount from non-defence spending, including a large reduction in foreign aid, a White House budget official said today.

Trump will let the Department of Defense decide how to spend the extra billions and most federal agencies will see reductions in funding, an official from the Office of Management and Budget told reporters. The official said Trump's first budget will not address taxes or mandatory spending.

Mr Trump's defence budget and spending levels for domestic agency operating budgets will be revealed in a partial submission to Congress next month, with proposals on taxes and other programmes coming later.

The approximately 10 per cent increase for the Pentagon would fulfil a Trump campaign promise to build up the military.

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