A drone maker backed by President Donald Trump's two oldest sons is trying to sell to Gulf countries while they find themselves under Iran's retaliatory fire, the Associated Press has reported. The sales drive positions the company to potentially profit from a war that their father began, even as Iran exercises its right to defend itself against US-Israeli aggression.
The Florida-based Powerus, which announced a deal last month to bring aboard Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., is pitching drone interceptors to Gulf states that have become targets of Iranian retaliation precisely because they host US military bases used to bomb Iran.
"These countries are under enormous pressure to buy from the sons of the president so he will do what they want," Richard Painter told AP, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. "This is going to be the first family of a president to make a lot of money off war — a war he didn't get the consent of Congress for."
Selling to the Gulf
Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich told AP that the company is making sales pitches that include drone demonstrations in several Gulf countries to show how its drone interceptors could help them ward off Iranian strikes.
"Our team is doing many demos across the Middle East right now for our interceptors. We have very incredible tech that can save lives," Velicovich said in a text exchange. He declined to name the countries or give more details.
The Trump brothers' deal with Powerus could give them sizable equity stakes. Their father, as commander in chief, launched the strikes with "Israel" against Iran over a month ago that began the war.
The Gulf states now seeking protection are the same ones that host American bases used to launch those strikes, making them legitimate targets, as Iran is exercising self-defense.
Profiting from war
The president's oldest sons have expanded their business interests beyond hotels and golf courses since their father took office again. The companies they've invested in run the gamut from cryptocurrency ventures to prediction markets to federal contractors making rocket parts and rare earth magnets.
This latest Trump venture has its sights on $1.1 billion set aside by the Department of War to build up a US manufacturing base for armed drones, filling a hole left when the Trump administration banned such imports from China.
Powerus denied there were any conflicts when the Trump brothers' stake was first announced. Velicovich emphasized its determination to help the US catch up with Chinese and Russian drone makers.
"We are at war, my friend, we are in an arms race and America will lose if we don't build fast," said Velicovich. "We should be thankful anyone is trying to invest in American manufacturing now. That idea transcends politics."
The Trump Organization, where the two sons are executives, has dismissed claims of conflicts of interest in the past. The sons have said they didn't get credit for their restraint in their father's first term, so they have decided not to hold back much this time.
Asked about potential Powerus conflicts of interest specifically, Eric Trump sent AP a statement last month saying, "I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future."
Source:Websites
