Here is a sentence that would have ended any other presidency: The President’s sons are selling weapons to the military during a war their father started. On May 1, 2026, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Air Force agreed to purchase an undisclosed number of interceptor drones from Powerus, a company financially backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The product is called the Guardian-2 — a semi-autonomous, high-speed counter-drone interceptor designed to defeat cheap attack drones. It is the company’s first military sale. It happened during the Iran war. The president’s children are profiting from the president’s war. This is not an allegation. It is a transaction.
The Drone Deal.
Powerus was founded in 2025. The Trump brothers’ involvement runs through American Venture Partners, a financial vehicle also backed by Dominari Holdings, a fintech and securities group operating out of Trump Tower. Reuters reported in March that Aureus Greenway Holdings — a golf club company — backed by Eric and Don Jr., planned to merge with Powerus to take the drone company public. So: Trump’s sons invested in a drone startup, the startup merged with their golf company to go public, and then the Air Force bought the drones. During their father’s war. In which those exact types of drones are needed to counter Iranian attack drones.
When pressed on the obvious conflict of interest, neither the Air Force nor Powerus provided substantive responses. The company called it a “limited procurement order” following a “successful demonstration.” The Air Force confirmed a purchase without disclosing the quantity or value. Nobody in the administration sees a problem with the president’s children selling weapons to the president’s military during the president’s war.
The Mining Deal.
On April 30, Don Jr. and Eric Trump took stakes in a construction firm that merged with a mining company days after it secured $1.6 billion in U.S. government backing for a tungsten project in Kazakhstan. Tungsten is a critical mineral used in military applications. The U.S. government — led by their father — backed the project. The Trump sons then took financial positions in the entity profiting from that government backing. This is a government-subsidized mining deal that directly enriches the president’s family.
The Jet.
Trump accepted a $400 million jet from the Qatari government despite concerns that it violates the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the president from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent. But the jet isn’t even the worst part. Preparing the aircraft for presidential use — security modifications, communications systems, defensive countermeasures — will cost American taxpayers an estimated $400 million more. So a foreign government gives Trump an $800 million total package: $400 million as a gift and $400 million billed to you. And Trump reportedly plans to keep the jet after leaving office.
May 1: Air Force buys drones from Trump sons’ company during Iran war. Apr 30: Trump sons take stakes in $1.6B government-backed Kazakhstan mining deal. Ongoing: $400M Qatar jet + $400M taxpayer prep costs. Also: $23B+ in weapons sales to UAE, Kuwait, Jordan bypassing Congress by declaring Iran war emergency. Also: Vietnam fast-tracked a $1.5B Trump Organization golf project to avoid tariffs. Also: $10B IRS lawsuit where Trump is suing his own government and his own DOJ is negotiating the settlement.
This Would Have Ended Any Other Presidency.
Jimmy Carter put his peanut farm in a blind trust. Both Bushes divested from oil holdings. Obama had his assets in index funds. Trump’s sons are running a drone company, a mining company, a real estate empire, a crypto company, and a golf conglomerate — all while their father runs the country and commands the military. The word for this is not “conflict of interest.” The word is “corruption.” Open, documented, brazen, industrial-scale corruption. And it is happening in broad daylight because nobody with the power to stop it has the courage to try.
Sources.
- Wes O’Donnell: Trump’s Sons Backed a Drone Company. Now the Air Force Is Buying Its Weapons — May 1, 2026. Bloomberg report; Guardian-2 interceptor drone; Air Force “limited procurement order”; Powerus founded 2025; American Venture Partners; Dominari Holdings at Trump Tower; Aureus Greenway merger to go public.
- MSNBC 11th Hour: ‘Outrageous’ — Trump family drone firm wins U.S. weapons deal — May 2, 2026. Panel discussion on conflict of interest; Bloomberg sourcing; connection to Iran war; Don Jr. and Eric Trump as investors; first military sale by Powerus.
- RepresentUs: Trump Corruption Tracker — Ongoing tracker. Kazakhstan tungsten deal ($1.6B, Apr 30); Qatar jet ($400M gift + $400M taxpayer cost); $23B weapons bypass; Vietnam golf project ($1.5B); Powerus drone sale; Dominari/American Venture Partners connection.