The AP’s spending breakdown frames the question many people ask when they see a large bill—what could be bought with that money instead—then applies it to wartime spending. In a graphic and accompanying explanation published March 12, the Associated Press said the Trump administration’s war with Iran cost the United States more than $11.3 billion during its first week.
The report says the scale of the total is difficult to absorb, and it addresses that problem by breaking the amount into smaller parts. The Associated Press said its approach is meant to make the number more understandable by estimating what the money could buy when it is broken down.
In its narration, the Associated Press asks whether a person might think, “If I hadn’t spent this, what could I have bought?” The story uses that idea to connect the first-week total to more familiar purchasing comparisons, including “even individual” levels.
The Associated Press also credits additional reporting from Washington. The story says AP reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.