The Trump administration is reportedly engaging in discussions with major American manufacturers, including automakers, to encourage the production of additional military equipment and weaponry, as revealed by The Wall Street Journal. These talks emphasize a strategic effort to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities by tapping into industrial expertise.
High-ranking officials from the Department of War have initiated these conversations, reaching out to influential figures such as Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, and Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford Motor Company. Sources familiar with the discussions have confirmed these interactions, highlighting the administration’s proactive approach.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump and Jim Farley made a public appearance together at a Ford manufacturing plant located in Dearborn, Michigan. Following this, Mary Barra was seen visiting the White House in February, indicating ongoing dialogues with key industry leaders.
While The Daily Mail sought comments from the White House, Ford, and GM, there has yet to be a response from the companies. This silence leaves many questions open regarding the potential outcomes of these negotiations.
A Pentagon representative shared with The Daily Mail that the War Department is intensely focused on rapidly expanding its defense industrial capabilities. The official emphasized the commitment to utilizing all commercial innovations and technologies to ensure American military forces maintain a competitive edge globally.
GE Aerospace and Oshkosh, a vehicle and machinery maker, were also involved in these talks, which were described as preliminary and wide-ranging.
The request from the Pentagon to these companies comes as the United States fights two major conflicts; a proxy war in Ukraine to keep an invading Russia at bay and the newly-launched war against Iran.
Defense officials are concerned that the US is depleting its stock of weaponry and have asked firms if they can rapidly shift to a war-time production footing, a role American companies assumed during World War II.
The Trump administration has asked large-scale manufacturers, including Ford and General Motors, to start making weaponry and other military equipment as the US depletes its stockpiles (President DoTrump pictured with Ford CEO Jim Farley on January 13, 2026)
Officials have spoken with Farley and GM CEO Mary Barra (pictured), who visited the White House in February
People who spoke to the Journal anonymously said the discussions with manufacturers began before the war in Iran.
Oshkosh, based in Wisconsin, reportedly began talking with the Pentagon as early as November, when War Secretary Pete Hegseth called for companies to begin upping production.
Logan Jones, chief growth officer for the company’s transport segment, said Oshkosh’s discussions have largely been focused on ‘where could we bring that capacity in a way that matches our core capability’.
Oshkosh currently builds tactical troop carriers for the Army and US allied countries, but most of the company’s revenue comes from nondefense sources.
During the talks, officials framed the companies getting involved as a matter of national security, according to the Journal.
Lawmakers have reportedly been concerned that the US will eventually draw down too far on its weapons stockpiles since February 2022, when Washington and NATO began sending weapons to Ukraine.
The Pentagon recently requested a $1.5 trillion budget, which would be the department’s largest in history by a longshot. Officials want to invest more heavily in munition and drone manufacturing.
The talks between the companies come as the United States began a war in Iran. Though there is a two-week ceasefire, it is strained by a disagreement over who should control the Strait of Hormuz
There is precedent for automakers and other manufacturers assisting the US during wartime and other emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic (Pictured: A soldier operates a machine gun on board a helicopter)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the conflict in Ukraine would be a ‘protracted, stalemated conflict’
In an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the conflict in Ukraine would be a ‘protracted, stalemated conflict.’
‘No one has any idea or any plan to bring it to an end,’ Rubio said about the drawn-out military operation.
‘The plan of the Ukrainians up to now and their allies on Capitol Hill and the people you talk to in other countries is let’s just keep giving them as much as they need for as long as it takes. That’s not a strategy.’
There is earlier precedent for the US government relying on companies to assist the citzenry through crises.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, GM and Ford collaborated with medical-device manufacturers to make tens of thousands of ventilators for hospitals that had shortages.
And during World War II, American automakers halted production of consumer vehicles to make tanks, aircraft, engines, guns, and trucks. At the time, they made $29 billion worth of military equipment.
That differs from how military production is done today. There are much fewer manufacturers involved and the ones that are generally specialize in making equipment for the Pentagon.
Notable defense contractors include Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
GM has a segment that focuses only on defense production. It makes a lightweight infantry vehicle derived from the Chevrolet Colorado pickup.
The automaker is in the running to build an even larger infantry squad vehicle for the Army that would replace the Humvee, which has been in service for over 40 years.
