It is no secret that the United States derives much of its power from mere military force. The U.S. has maintained its position as the global hegemon largely through investment in military technology. However, these technological advancements are not cheap.
The F-35 fighter jet is a much-needed improvement from the Cold War-era planes. The new F-35 fighters can go undetected by radar and have proven to be far more efficient than the previous technology. The impressive capabilities of the F-35 come with a hefty price tag of $102 million per jet.
Before his inauguration, President Trump tweeted about his plan to save billions of dollars in the military budget. Before his first days in office, the president-elect had already set an agenda to have negotiations with Lockheed Martin, the manufacturing company of the F-35.
By the time Trump took office in January 2017, agreements had been made to lower the price from $102 million to $94 million—an eight percent drop. Even with these quick budget improvements, the president was still not satisfied, continuing his negotiations until the price had dropped an additional six percent to now below $80 million.
The media has actively refused to give Trump any credit for the economic success he has seen within the first half of his term. The economy has flourished president over the first couple years of his presidency, although the media doesn’t like to discuss that fact. Despite what many Democrats have claimed, President Trump has saved taxpayers an additional $500 million.
Being able to decrease the price of the F-35 fighter not only saves money for taxpayers, it also allows the U.S. to bolster its military more effectively. Trump has proven successful in revamping the American economy while also strengthening our military.
Photo by Robert Sullivan
