In 2019, General Dynamics landed a $714 million contract to upgrade M1 Abrams battle tanks at the Army-owned factory the corporation runs in Lima, Ohio.
When President Donald Trump stepped onstage at a General Dynamics Corp.-run factory last spring, an American flag and four M1 Abrams battle tanks served as his backdrop.
“God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood played. Employees of the Lima, Ohio, plant chanted, “USA, USA!” and Trump smiled.
“Well, you better love me,” he said. “I kept this place open.”
While it’s debatable whether Trump can personally take credit for saving the factory, annual defense spending has risen about 13% over the course of his administration, strengthening the fortunes of contractors such as Virginia-based General Dynamics, a Fortune 500 company that makes warships, combat vehicles and Gulfstream jets. (U.S. military spending still isn’t back to the levels seen during its 2009-11 boom years, however.)
