Art of the Arms Deal: Trump Is Peddling Arms as If There Were No Tomorrow

Donald Trump has headed down a well-traveled arms superhighway, partnering with the likes of Lockheed Martin to sell weapons to dictatorships and repressive regimes that often fuel instability, war, and terrorism.

William D. Hartung
By William D. Hartung
President Donald Trump shows a chart highlighting arms sales to Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 20, 2018, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)

It’s one of those stories of the century that somehow never gets treated that way. For an astounding 25 of the past 26 years, the United States has been the leading arms dealer on the planet, at some moments in near monopolistic fashion. Its major weapons-producers, including Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, regularly pour the latest in

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With Appointment of Defense Industry Insiders, Trump Adds to Washington’s ‘Swamp’

Trump is certainly not the first president to appoint defense industry executives to senior Pentagon posts, but he’s taken the practice to extreme lengths. He’s also extended the same practice to almost every other cabinet department.

Jonathan Marshall
By Jonathan Marshall
President Donald Trump to speaks to Boeing employees in the final assembly building at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, S.C., Feb. 17, 2017. (AP/Mic Smith)

In the Famous-Last-Words department, this Dec. 12, 2016, headline from Reuters surely ranks among the worst: “Trump attack on Lockheed Martin foreshadows war on defense industry.” When it comes to military contractors, President Trump surely prefers to make love, not war. Not only does he seek a $51 billion increase in the base military budget,

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Despite Record Of Human Rights Abuse, US Approves Billions In Arms Sales To Bahrain

Congress held up a similar sale last year over Bahrain’s myriad of human rights abuses.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Bahrain

The US State Department has approved $3.8 billion in weapons sales to the tiny island nation of Bahrain. The Pentagon confirmed the approval and the State Department has notified Congress, who held up a similar sale last year over Bahrain’s many, many human rights problems. The $3.8 billion sale is almost entirely going to Lockheed Martin, who

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US Arms Manufacturers Stocks Soar To Record Highs Following Saudi Weapons Deal

Lockheed Martin is the biggest “winner,” of the deal, with some $28 billion in weapons and equipment out of the initial $110 billion going to the weapons manufacturer.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson participates in a signing ceremony between President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salam at the Royal Court Palace, Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Riyadh. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The weekend finalization of a US arms deal with Saudi Arabia which officials say will be worth at least $350 billion over the next decade sent the stocks of politically well-connected US arms makers soaring to all-time highs, underscoring just how much money there is to be had in keeping Saudi Arabia awash in weapons to drop on Yemen. Lockheed

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Militarization Of U.S.’ Asian Allies A Boon For Top U.S. Weapon Manufacturers

Japan and Taiwan are helping to advance the U.S.’ ultimate goal of “engaging and containing” Beijing with larger purchases of arms. This growing militarization is lining the already deep pockets of U.S. arms manufacturers like Raytheon and Boeing.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
Soldiers on a AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicle communicate during military exercises at the Zuoying naval base in Kaohsiung, southern of Taiwan, Wednesday, January 18, 2017. (AP/Chiang Ying-ying)

MINNEAPOLIS-- Last week, Taiwan issued a rare public comment announcing its plans to continue buying U.S.-made weapons, stating that the purchases are helping to boost the U.S. economy. The Taiwanese government elaborated, stating that its military purchases “have boosted the local economy” of several states, but particularly benefited the U.S.’

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Arms Industry Donating To Hawkish Clinton Over Incoherent Trump

‘My view is Hillary is far more aligned with the types of issues that are important to the defense industry than Trump is.’

Deirdre Fulton
By Deirdre Fulton
2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in Commerce, Calif. A State Department audit has faulted Hillary Clinton and previous top U.S. diplomats for poorly managing information and slowly responding to new cybersecurity risks. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Employees of 25 of the nation's largest defense companies—such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Raytheon—are choosing to fill the coffers of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over those of her rival, GOP nominee Donald Trump. That's according to a new analysis by Politico, published Wednesday and based on federal campaign

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