Detroit Could Become the Center of Trump’s ‘Arsenal of Freedom’

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US carmakers—a major source of American industrial strength—largely exited the defense industry after the Cold War. Trump wants them to rejoin it.

During World War II, manufacturing companies large and small found ways to support the war effort. Firms like IBM, Quality Hardware, and Rock-Ola (maker of jukeboxes) manufactured M1 carbines, and the Smith-Corona Typewriter Company produced more than a quarter of a million M1903A3 rifles. Detroit’s automakers, including Ford and General Motors (GM), were also major participants in the “Arsenal of Democracy,” producing tanks, armored vehicles, and other war material.

In the 21st century, senior US defense officials may once again turn to the automakers to support military weapons production, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Executives from the two largest car makers met with Pentagon leaders as the Trump administration seeks ways to boost manufacturing to replenish US military stockpiles, which have been drained by the conflict in Ukraine, where the US has provided materiel aid, and in the ongoing war........

© The National Interest