US President Donald Trump’s decision to sell state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia seriously risks undermining his efforts to secure America’s technological advantage over China, both in national security and the battle for global AI supremacy.
Trump initially agreed to sell the Saudis 48 F-35s in a deal worth an estimated $24.3 billion when he hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in November 2025.
