President Trump’s involvement in F-35 negotiations “absolutely” made a difference in getting an agreement on the most recent contract for a batch of aircraft, Lockheed Martin’s CEO told reporters on Tuesday.

Marillyn Hewson said the president’s focus on driving down the cost of the aircraft to get taxpayers the best deal possible is “perfectly appropriate.” While negotiations on Lot 10 of the aircraft were already underway when he took office, Hewson said Trump’s personal involvement helped accelerate negotiations and put a focus on price reduction.