President Trump’s Golden Dome Isn’t a New Idea — Reagan Tried It First

A national missile shield that can protect the entire country from threats in the sky sounds like science fiction. As of 2025, however, the U.S. government is actively working to build one that is being referred to as Trump’s golden dome.

While the name sounds a little strange, it is actually a major defense initiative backed by President Donald Trump. According to the Department of Defense, the initiative aims to build an advanced missile defense system that can protect the entire country from an airborne threat.

Even though President Trump is the one driving the initiative, the idea didn’t originate from him. Interested in learning more about what Trump’s golden dome is or where the idea came from? Keep reading for the details.

One of the more surprising details about Trump’s golden dome is that it isn’t a brand-new idea. While most people are crediting Israel's Iron Dome air defense system as the inspiration behind the initiative, that may not have been where President Trump first pulled this idea from.

Turns out, the concept of wanting a defense shield over the U.S. has been around for decades. Furthermore, President Trump is not the first president to propose this defense initiative. According to the Department of Defense, President Ronald Reagan proposed something similar in the 1980s, calling it the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Technology, however, just wasn’t advanced enough to make that idea a reality.

Fast forward to 2025, things have changed. Major advances in technology mean the U.S. now has the tools to make that shield a reality. This is where President Trump comes into the picture. With the support of the Department of Defense, he is reviving the idea.

The golden dome is modeled in part after Israel’s Iron Dome, a system that can shoot down incoming rockets before they hit civilian areas. Instead of just covering a small country, the U.S. version would need to protect all 50 states. That means more satellites, more advanced radars, and much faster interceptors that can target missiles from long distances.

To make this happen, the Pentagon has brought together experts from across the military and defense industry. According to the Department of Defense, the project is not just a one-team effort. The entire government is coming together with a team of scientists, strategists, and engineers to make this initiative a reality.

The government is working together to construct a plan for what the system will look like, how to build it, and how much it will cost.

Reuters reported that SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is a frontrunner to help build the system. The company’s expertise in rocket launches, satellite networks, and rapid innovation puts it in a strong position to contribute key pieces of the golden dome architecture.

As of April 2025, Trump’s golden dome is just an idea. The idea of building a shield that can protect all of the United States from an airborne attack. It is an idea that previous presidents have wanted but needed technology to catch up first.