Trump strikes fear into defense contractors

Trump’s criticism of projects from Lockheed Martin and Boeing has put contractors on notice, suggesting that the incoming administration intends to put a new emphasis on cost cutting at the Pentagon.

“There’s a lot of concern within the industry,” one defense industry official told The Hill. “You don’t want to get your program called out by the president.”

“This may well be the new reality that we all have to get used to — he is inclined to call out programs where he thinks there might be concern for the taxpayer,” the official added…

Andrew Hunter, director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump is “definitely sending a message that he’s going to be tough on government spending.”