Anduril CEO defends government contracts: ‘I’m a lifelong Democrat’

Anduril Industries CEO Brian Schimpf has defended the defence technology company's growing list of multi-billion-dollar US government contracts amid scrutiny over co-founder Palmer Luckey's close ties to the Trump administration, saying the company has enjoyed strong growth under leaders from both political parties. Speaking to CNBC's Squawk on the Street, Schimpf pushed back against suggestions that Luckey's political connections have helped Anduril secure lucrative Pentagon deals. "We've done incredibly well under [President Joe] Biden," Schimpf said. "That was one of the biggest ramps that we've had as a company. I'm a lifelong Dem and have great relationships on both sides of the aisle of this."The comments come as Anduril faces increased scrutiny after winning major defence contracts while Luckey takes on a more prominent role in US defence policy circles.