Trump Threatens To Kneecap $43 Billion Defense Firm For Not Feeling The Rush
KEY POINTS
- •President Trump warned RTX, the second-largest defense company, to speed up production and invest more in assets.
- •He ordered caps on executive pay, halted dividends, and threatened to cut contracts to enforce compliance.
- •RTX, which earned $43.5 billion in 2024 revenue, includes weapon systems like Stinger defense and Tomahawk missiles.
In a surprise episode of Commander-in-Chief Mic Drop, President Trump threatened to kneecap RTX—America’s $43.5 billion second-largest defense contractor—if it didn’t start ‘investing in plants and equipment’ faster than a B-52 bombs nuclear cruise missiles. His Truth Social declaration called out Raytheon for treating contracts like a Biden-era ‘business as usual’ nap, warning harshly that dividends and buybacks were banned and executive pay caps pending. Despite storytelling might, he has zero clear power over private firms beyond possibly yanking federal contracts, which RTX shrugged off like a missile on its radar. Apparently, Stingers and Tomahawks won't launch until Trump’s demands get docketed.
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Nothing says 'speed up production' like threatening to kneecap a $43 billion company because they didn’t RSVP fast enough to Trump’s invite. Defense genius level: still loading.
When your CEO meeting turns into a mob boss negotiation and the country’s second-largest defense firm suddenly fears for its knees.
Trump’s new defense strategy: If missiles don’t shoot fast enough, we’ll just shoot the budget instead. Efficiency!
Source: Axios | Published: 1/7/2026 | Author: Colin Demarest
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