Trump threatens Raytheon's business with the US government

• President Donald Trump singled out defense contractor Raytheon.
• Trump said he had been told Raytheon was "the least responsive" to the Pentagon's needs.
• Trump's criticism of Raytheon comes amid a larger push against major defense contractors.

President Donald Trump called out Raytheon by name as he continues to seek to make an example out of the nation's largest defense contractors.

"I have been informed by the Department of War that Defense Contractor, Raytheon, has been the least responsive to the needs of the Department of War, the slowest in increasing their volume, and the most aggressive spending on their Shareholders rather than the needs and demands of the United States Military," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post published on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon until it rebranded in 2023 following a merger with United Technologies Corporation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Earlier in the day, Trump fired a broadside at the entire defense industry, posting on Truth Social that he would "not permit" further stock buybacks or dividends to be issued to shareholders. Trump also said that until defense companies build "NEW and MODERN Production Plants" their executives' pay should be capped at $5 million.

It's unclear why Trump singled out Raytheon in particular. The company has a history of returning capital to shareholders. Raytheon announced a $10 billion buyback plan in 2023 and says it has paid a dividend every year since 1936.

Last year, the company paid out a dividend in March. It's unclear if Trump's statement will affect those plans or even the extent to which a president could prohibit a publicly traded company from fulfilling its previously declared financial obligations.

Trump has frequently used the presidential bully pulpit to criticize companies and their CEOs. In August 2025, Trump called for Intel to fire its CEO Lip-Bu Tan, only to later change his stance after the US government acquired a roughly 10% stake in the chipmaker.

It is less common for Trump to directly threaten a company's government contracts, although he has done so as well.

In July 2025, Trump threatened to cut off Elon Musk's companies from government contracts during a heated back-and-forth with the world's richest person. Since then, Trump has reconciled with the billionaire.