President Donald Trump has finalized a deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase 90 F-35 fighter jets for the lowest price in the program's history. The $8.5 billion agreement will potentially save the American taxpayer billions of dollars.
President Trump warned the government contractor in December of 2016 that the program was "out of control."
“Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th,” he said at the time.
The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2016
Lockheed Martin acknowledged President Trump's involvement in the negotiation.
"President Trump’s personal involvement in the F-35 program accelerated the negotiations and sharpened our focus on driving down the price. The agreement was reached in a matter of weeks and represents significant savings over previous contracts. This is a good deal for the American taxpayer, our country, our company and our suppliers," the statement said.
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