US Military Giants Brace for Return of Trump 'Chaos Factor’
A more isolationist and penny-pinching America raises challenges for the business of bullets, bombs and fighter jets.
Defense contractors face volatility under a second Trump administration. A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., performs maneuvers at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in 2023.
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/BloombergTo get Industrial Strength delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here.
Conventional wisdom says that Republican presidents tend to be better for the business of bullets, bombs and fighter jets. The actual data is more muddled, suggesting that the geopolitical threat environment plays a bigger role in determining defense spending than who sits in the White House. But nevertheless, little about a second Trump administration is expected to be conventional.