The ‘buy-American’ push is backfiring
It’s time for U.S. and European policymakers to be smarter and more cooperative.
Emma Ashford | June 6, 2025 07:00 AM ET
No one doubts that President Donald Trump is a fan of the U.S. defense industry. “We have the greatest missiles in the world,” he recently told reporters, “We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world.” He’s even ordered up a military parade to show off American weaponry on his 79th birthday in Washington, D.C.
But Trump’s love for U.S. weapons, and for foreign arms sales, is increasingly putting some of his other policy goals at risk.
In Europe, the administration is pursuing a contradictory policy: demanding that European states spend and do more for their own defense—while simultaneously insisting that those funds are spent on U.S. armaments. This is already provoking a backlash from European elites and could slow down or even derail the administration’s push for greater European self-reliance in defense. Over time, a strong Europe that can defend itself would be a win for the United States, even if it comes at the cost of defense industry profits.
The Trump administration has made clear that it wants greater European defense capabilities. As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told European allies earlier this year, “safeguarding European security must be an imperative for European members of NATO.” The administration has backed this rhetoric with action, briefly pulling back on U.S. support for Ukraine, and pressuring European states to spend up to five percent of GDP on defense.
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/06/buy-american-push-backfiring/405859/?oref=d1-featured-river-secondary
