Reports emerged confirming that the Trump administration is pivoting from its earlier AI initiatives to prioritize robotics as a key pillar of U.S. industrial policy.
This move aims to bolster domestic manufacturing, enhance national security, and counter China’s lead in robotics deployment—where the U.S. currently lags with roughly 450,000 industrial robots installed compared to China’s 1.8 million.
The strategy aligns with President Trump’s “America First” agenda, emphasizing reshoring production through advanced automation while integrating AI advancements from prior efforts like the July 2025.”
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been actively engaging with CEOs from the robotics sector, signaling strong administration support for rapid industry growth. Sources describe Lutnick as “all in” on acceleration, with discussions focusing on policy incentives like tax breaks, streamlined regulations, and increased federal funding.
The White House is evaluating an executive order on robotics for issuance in 2026, which could formalize national goals for development, deployment, and ethical use. This would mirror the AI executive order from November 2025, dubbed the “Genesis Mission,” which mobilized federal resources for AI-driven scientific breakthroughs, including robotic labs.
The Department of Transportation is forming a federal robotics working group to integrate automation into infrastructure and logistics. On Capitol Hill, Republicans are advancing legislative proposals after a failed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have created a national robotics commission.
New bills could provide dedicated funding and R&D support. U.S. robotics funding is projected to reach $2.3 billion in 2025—double 2024 levels—driven by private-sector interest. Goldman Sachs forecasts the global humanoid robotics market hitting $38 billion by 2035, with U.S. leadership seen as critical to economic competitiveness.
The Commerce Department emphasized: “We are committed to robotics and advanced manufacturing because they are central to bringing critical production back to the United States.”
The announcement sparked immediate enthusiasm in robotics-related stocks:Tesla (TSLA): Shares rose 1%, buoyed by its Optimus humanoid robot program and Elon Musk’s close ties to Trump.
Serve Robotics (SERV): Surged 8% on its autonomous delivery tech.
Richtech Robotics (RR): Jumped 11%, reflecting gains for smaller automation players.
Teradyne (TER): Up 1%, as a key supplier of testing equipment for robotics.
Analysts view this as a “supercharge” for sectors like defense like drones and surveillance bots, healthcare surgical assistants, and logistics warehouse automation.
Industry groups, including the Secure Cloud and Supply Chain Policy (SCSP), have urged a national strategy to foster U.S. leadership through government-industry-academia collaboration.
This robotics focus builds on Trump’s AI “Genesis Mission,” which integrated supercomputing and federal datasets to automate experiments in areas like advanced manufacturing.
It positions robotics as the next “front” in the U.S.-China tech race, where countries like Japan, Germany, and Singapore already have dedicated national plans. Proponents argue it could drive 4-5% annual GDP growth via productivity gains, but critics highlight risks.
AI-powered robots may displace manufacturing jobs, potentially undermining Trump’s promises to revive blue-collar work. Reskilling programs and ethical guidelines will be essential to mitigate workforce impacts.
Overall, this signals a proactive industrial policy shift, with robotics poised to redefine U.S. manufacturing resilience. Watch for the 2026 executive order as a potential catalyst for further investments and partnerships.