President Donald Trump's tendency to brag about his negotiating prowess has defense industry officials in a tough spot, caught between the White House and the facts on critical national security programs. But as long as they stay on his good side, the major defense contractors are learning to use the new president's bluster to their advantage. "Defense contractors have learned to make the unpredictable predictable again," says Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the Teal Group. "Once they realized this was not a negotiation but rather an opportunity to give Trump credit for things that didn't happen or other people's hard work, they were rewarded handsomely."
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