GM and Ford lean on Trump and government money while foreign rivals and AI eat their lunch — bad for American automakers and workers.

• GM is putting $6 billion into US factories, but that's tiny next to the hundreds of billions pouring into AI data centers instead of cars.
• Foreign brands are winning: Toyota and Hyundai are growing on hybrids while GM sales fell.
• American cars are pricey — GM's average sticker is $52,000 — and cheaper Chinese cars are blocked from the US to protect the automakers.
• Ford is chasing profits by selling pricey custom packages ($13k–$27k add-ons) and building a military truck for army contracts.
• Layoffs and plant shutdowns hit GM workers, undercutting the promise of a factory-jobs boom.

Outlook: US automakers likely keep losing ground to cheaper, better foreign cars and stay reliant on trade blocks and government contracts to survive.