On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Air Force signed a weapons procurement deal with Powerus, a Florida-based drone firm heavily backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

 

'Outrageous': Drone firm backed by Trump family wins U.S. weapons deal

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Air Force signed a weapons procurement deal with Powerus, a Florida-based drone firm heavily backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The deal involves the purchase of interceptor drones designed to counter Iranian attack drones, a move that critics have labeled "outrageous" and a direct conflict of interest given the president's role in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

 

The Powerus Weapons Deal

• Contract Scope: The Air Force agreed to purchase an undisclosed number of interceptor drones following a successful technology demonstration in Arizona.
• War Context: This is the first weapons contract for Powerus and comes as the U.S. enters its third month of war with Iran. The military is pivoting toward inexpensive drones to intercept Iranian systems rather than using costly missiles.
• Trump Family Connection: Donald Jr. and Eric Trump joined the board of Powerus in March 2026 after the firm merged with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a golf course operator they also backed.

Wider Defense Tech Portfolio

The Trump family has rapidly expanded its footprint in the defense sector during the president’s second term:

• Unusual Machines: Donald Jr. serves as an adviser and significant shareholder in this drone components company, which has also received U.S. Army orders.
• Xtend: Eric Trump is backing a $1.5 billion merger for this Israeli drone maker, which holds existing Pentagon contracts for AI-driven defense systems.
• Foundation Industries: Eric Trump serves as a strategic adviser for this firm, which recently won a $24 million contract for AI-driven military robots.

Controversy and Ethical Concerns

Ethics experts, such as former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter, have slammed the deals, arguing that foreign allies and domestic agencies may feel pressured to award contracts to the president’s sons to gain favor with the administration. Democrats in Congress have requested more information from the Pentagon regarding these ties.

Powerus and the Trump brothers maintain that the contracts are awarded solely on technological merit and that they are private businessmen operating in a critical national security sector.