If you were a researcher / scientist, what more could you do aside from working on a new tech with good intentions in the hopes of beating out the people working on it with bad intentions? The continual progress of technology is inevitable, which is why America* needs to be first for every development, because America's hands are more trustworthy than others.

*Obviously I don't trust the government much after the 6th but in general I'd rather America be the one to make nukes than Nazi Germany.