Not being American it is entirely possible that my analysis of US culture or budget is incorrect. Your explanations do change the basis of my analysis.

So, welfare spending dwarfs military spending so much that zero military spending still wouldn't solve the problem. Alas, a 0-8% tax on the rich, locking out of the rich and delaying payment is nowhere near enough $80 trillion either. Ouch!

That strikes me that the military won't be heavily cut as there's little point in fighting a hard, political battle that still won't solve the problem. A combination of tax and welfare cuts, then. Since the budget continues to be out of balance with no effort to fix that, by the time action is taken, a workable tax raise on a $12 trillion economy isn't going to cover it. Double ouch!

That leaves the economic-collapsing tax, as you say, or cutting welfare. Both a working economy and a working welfare are mandatory. Mandatory is relative. Which will cause the least riots? I can't see welfare surviving.