Trump Sons’ Jaw-Dropping Pentagon Cash-In Exposed
Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are backing firms making billions from spending priorities set by their father.

Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty
President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., have poured money into more than a dozen federal defense contractors that are collectively making billions from their father’s administration.
A Washington Post analysis published Monday reveals that those firms have raked in more than $3.2 billion in Pentagon deals under the second Trump administration. Most of Eric and Donald Jr.’s investments came after President Trump, 80, retook the White House last year. The firms have also secured $3.1 billion in potential future work, along with the right to “bid exclusively” for up to $200 billion more.
Eric, 42, and Donald Jr., 48, cast their investments as acts of “patriotic capitalism,” claiming they’re helping to defend the U.S. against enemy threats.

The White House has shrugged off the astonishing findings as "the same, tired narrative" about the first family.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Neither Donald Jr. nor Eric had any great experience in the defense sector before they began investing in companies seeking federal contracts.
ADVERTISEMENT
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly insisted “there are no conflicts of interest” and that the Washington Post report represents “the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The brothers’ profits come from companies cashing in on spending priorities the Pentagon says are designed to modernize military systems and assets. That push “prioritizes smaller, nimbler weaponry” like drones, the Post reports. It was already “well underway” under Joe Biden, and Trump has now “turbocharged” the drive.
The brothers have invested heavily in Musk's Pentagon contractor, SpaceX.
Evan Vucci/REUTERS
The money moves through two vehicles: 1789 Capital, where Donald Jr. signed on as a partner days after his dad’s win, and American Ventures, Eric’s outfit run out of Dominari Holdings, which is based inside Trump Tower.
Two names dominate the haul. SpaceX and Anduril—run by MAGA allies Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, respectively—make up 97 percent of the direct government cash the Post tallied, plus 42 percent of the promised future work. Strip those two out, and 13 lesser-known start-ups still cornered almost $1.8 billion in long-term Pentagon commitments.
Companies that answered the Post said they won their contracts on merit, with no help from Trump’s family. Of the 15 firms, 10 already held federal work before the brothers invested. Eight had deals under Biden.
Trump Jr. has openly touted his sway over Pentagon decisions. At an event last year, he said he “helped craft some of [the department’s] messaging,” according to the Post. He has also steered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toward DoD hires eager to spend on drones.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House, the Pentagon, and the Trump Organization for comment on this story.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT