Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have taken equity stakes in a Florida-based drone manufacturer that is now actively seeking defence contracts with Gulf states currently under attack from Iran, countries that are also dependent on the US military, led by their father, President Donald Trump. Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said the arrangement raises some of the most serious conflict-of-interest concerns seen in modern American presidential history.
The company, Powerus, announced a deal last month to bring the two brothers on board as investors. Founded roughly a year ago by US Army Special Operations veterans, the firm builds drones for commercial applications — including agricultural spraying and wildfire suppression — but has since moved aggressively into military supply. It recently raised $60 million (approximately £47 million) from investors and is pursuing a 'reverse merger' with a Trump-linked company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange to expedite going public.
