Defense contractors were pretty excited when Donald Trump won the election, figuring it was fat and happy time once again for defense spending. And if happy time means the Pentagon will once again be willing to fund what the nation needs for its defense, then there should indeed by plenty of smiles to go around.
As for the fat part, defense contractors are used to the idea that cost overruns are no issue with the Pentagon because whatever they order they have to have, and have right away. The cost-is-no-object approach to national security is understandable in a certain sense, but when contractors know they can go hog wild with no consequences . . . well, they're going to go hog wild. Frequently.
It doesn't look like Trump intends to play that game, not even with his own aircraft. A standing order with Boeing calls for the development of a new Air Force One, and the word has gotten to Trump that the cost of the plane has risen to as high as $4 billion. Regardless of how much a new Air Force One may be needed, Trump made it clear that he will cancel the contract entirely before he pays that:
