Firm backed by Trump sons tries to sell drone interceptors to Gulf states being attacked by Iran | Donald Trump
A drone maker backed by Donald Trump’s two eldest sons is trying to sell to Gulf states that are under attack from Iran and dependent on the US military led by their father.
The sales move by Florida-based Powerus, which last month announced a deal to bring in Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., positions the company to potentially benefit from a war started by their fathers.
“These countries are under tremendous pressure to buy from the president’s sons so he will do what they want,” said Richard Painter, a former chief ethics attorney for the White House under George W. Bush. “This will be the first family of a president to make a lot of money off of a war, a war for which he did not have Congressional approval.”
Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich told the Associated Press that the company has given sales presentations featuring drone demonstrations in several Gulf countries to show how its defensive drone interceptors could help thwart Iranian attacks.
“Our team is currently doing several demos in the Middle East for our interceptors,” Velicovich said in a text exchange. “We have such incredible technology that can save lives.”
He declined to name the countries or provide further details.
The Trump brothers’ deal with Powerus could net them a huge chunk of stock. Their father, as commander-in-chief, launched the attacks that started the war with Israel against Iran about a month ago; This has been the impetus for why these Gulf countries need protection now.
Powerus denied there was any conflict when the Trump brothers’ shares were first announced. Velicovich emphasized the United States’ determination to help catch and defeat Chinese and Russian drone manufacturers.
“We’re at war, man; we’re in an arms race, and if we don’t build fast, America is going to lose,” said Velicovich, a former military man who came under fire from the same Russian drones now used by Iran. He added: “We should be grateful to everyone who is trying to invest in American manufacturing right now. This idea goes beyond politics.”
The president’s eldest sons have expanded their businesses beyond hotels and golf courses since their father’s reinstatement. The companies in which they invest or are assigned as advisors (along with equity stakes) run the gamut from cryptocurrency startups to prediction markets to federal contractors producing rocket parts and rare earth magnets.
This latest Trump initiative targets $1.1 billion set aside by the Pentagon to establish a production base for armed drones in the United States to fill the gap left when the Trump administration banned such imports from China.
The Trump Organization, where his two sons are executives, did not respond to a request for comment but has denied conflict of interest allegations in the past. His sons said their reticence to expand their father’s business during his first term was not appreciated, and they decided not to hold back too much this time.
When asked specifically about Powerus’ potential conflicts of interest, Eric Trump said in a statement to the AP last month: “I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future.”
