Trump's message to defense contractors: There might be a lot more money coming, but only if you deliver
A newly produced Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at a hangar in Fort Worth, Texas Orjan F. Ellingvag/Corbis via Getty Images Trump sent a blunt message to defense contractors this week in social media posts and an executive order. The Pentagon is getting tougher on slow contractors and shareholder-first actions. Big defense primes are under pressure as startups see a rare opening. President Donald Trump sent jolts through the defense industry this week by mixing talk of a $1.5 trillion defense budget with a blunt warning to contractors: Prioritize production and readiness, not Wall Street . The apparent messaging behind a string of Truth Social posts, a new executive order , and the president's call for boosting the defense budget by 50% is that there's going to be a lot of cash on the table, but only for companies that produce and deliver weapons on time. A venture capital investor focused on aerospace and defense told Business Insider that Tr...
