They stopped building prior to the overall cost of the program could be realized. 187 of a fantastically brand new aircraft is gonna be spendy. The first f35 were $150 mil now down to $85 or $90 mil per airframe but they've built 1000
The Obama administration canceled the contract because we would only be fighting mud people in future wars and wouldn't need an air superiority fighter any longer....
The F35 serves a different role (think the difference between an F16 and F15).
Looking at how things are going in Ukraine, they might be right about the fighters, but I think a hot war with China might prove otherwise. I guess we could find out at some point.
And the F22 will never have a non-American flying it. It's the US's ace in the hole against everything else ... including F35's that other countries have access to.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit in a 22 - a real, live one and spend an afternoon speaking with pilots and crew chiefs for this great piece of machinery. Very cool experience