A drone manufacturer backed by President Donald Trump's two sons is aggressively marketing its products to Gulf states that have come under Iranian attack. The countries depend on U.S. forces commanded by their father for defense, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
Drone maker Powerus recruited Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. last month, AP reported Sunday. "Our team is currently conducting interceptor drone demonstrations across the Middle East," Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich said. "We have amazing technology that can save lives."
Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said the Gulf nations "are under enormous pressure to buy from the president's sons." He added, "This will be the first case of a presidential family making big money from war."
The Trump brothers earlier acquired stakes in Powerus by investing part of a $60 million ($60 million, approximately 82 billion won) funding round. Powerus is considering raising additional capital through a reverse merger with a Trump-affiliated golf course company listed on NASDAQ.
The core of the conflict-of-interest controversy is this: after their father launched airstrikes against Iran alongside Israel, Gulf states need defensive capabilities — and a company in which the president's sons have invested is stepping in to sell drones.
"If we don't respond quickly in the arms race, we'll lose to other countries," CEO Velicovich said. "Investing in American manufacturing shouldn't be judged through a political lens."
The two Trump sons have expanded their business ventures beyond hotels and golf courses since their father's return to office. They have invested in or taken advisory roles at companies involved in cryptocurrency, rocket components, and a federal contractor manufacturing rare-earth magnets. The drone venture was launched after the U.S. Department of Defense announced a $1.1 billion (approximately 1.5 trillion won) budget to build a domestic military drone manufacturing base following a ban on Chinese-made drone imports.
Eric Trump denied the allegations in a statement to AP, saying, "I am very proud to invest in a company I believe in."