Brandon Daniels, CEO of Exiger, joins “Morning with Maria” to discuss how AI is exposing critical weaknesses in the U.S. defense supply chain and revealing the U.S.’s dependence on China for key military components.
The Trump administration’s efforts to curb U.S. dependence on China are ramping up as artificial intelligence exposes vulnerabilities deep in the U.S. military supply chain.
Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels appeared on “Mornings with Maria” with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo to discuss how artificial intelligence is being used to trace the origins of critical military components and identify weaknesses related to Chinese-controlled materials and suppliers.
U.S. military weapons manufacturing at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania. (Charlie Tribarrow/AFP/Getty Images)
Daniels said China has targeted key areas of industrial production for years through what he called “economic warfare,” pointing to practices such as forced labor, tariff evasion and state subsidies that have hollowed out parts of the U.S. manufacturing base.
“There’s a huge manufacturing middle class that China has been targeting for the last 20 years,” Daniels said.
Rep. John Moolener (R-Mich.) discusses China’s influence on Iran, the high-stakes Trump-Xi summit, AI security risks, and legislation targeting U.S. farmland ownership on “Morning with Maria.”
The conversation comes as the Trump administration pushes to increase domestic manufacturing capabilities related to national security and defense systems. Daniels said the U.S. once had more than 360 manufacturers supporting areas such as iron castings, magnesium castings and forgings related to defense production, but that number has fallen to fewer than 120 over the past decade.
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“But there are solutions,” Daniels said. “Through autonomous workflows, automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence…we can bring manufacturing back to America.”
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (Vermont) controversial call for U.S.-China cooperation on AI regulation on “Morning with Maria.”
Concerns about supply chains are growing in the wake of instability in the Middle East and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Energy Secretary Christopher Wright also joined Wednesday’s program to discuss continuing tensions over Iran and the importance of keeping shipping lanes open.
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“The United States will be able to move freely across the Strait of Hormuz,” Wright said.
Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, discusses Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for international AI cooperation on “The Bottom Line.”
This discussion reflects broader efforts across government and industry to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled goods associated with critical defense systems.
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