Powerus is seeking sales of drone interceptors to Gulf countries at a time when Iran has intensified attacks in the wider conflict, according to The Associated Press. The effort is being positioned as defensive technology for states that, AP reported, are dependent on U.S. military support led by President Donald Trump. Powerus is Florida-based, and it has been backed by Trump’s two oldest sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., who also have corporate roles linked to other business ventures since Trump took office again.
The company’s pitch relies on demonstrations, with Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich telling AP that his team is conducting “demos across the Middle East right now for our interceptors” to show how the systems could help ward off Iranian attacks. Velicovich, who described himself to AP as an Army veteran, did not identify the specific countries involved or provide additional detail beyond saying the technology could “save lives.”
Critics have questioned the timing and potential business incentives behind the sales campaign. Richard Painter, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said in an interview with AP that the situation amounts to pressure on countries to buy from the “sons of the president so he will do what they want.” Painter also said critics believe this could make Trump’s family the first “to make a lot of money off war,” describing the war as one he said Trump began without congressional consent.
AP reported that Velicovich said Powerus is pursuing pitches that include drone demonstrations and that the company has defensive drone interceptor technology it views as a competitive response to Chinese and Russian drone makers. Velicovich emphasized what he described as urgency in building up quickly, saying, “We are at war, my friend, we are in an arms race and America will lose if we don’t build fast.” He also told AP that he believes “anyone is trying to invest in American manufacturing” should be welcomed, saying the idea “transcends politics.”
The Associated Press said Powerus’ push for Gulf sales comes as the company enlarges its focus from commercial drones—ranging from fertilizer spreading to forest fire response—toward military uses. Founded about a year earlier by U.S. Army Special Operations veterans, the company has also raised capital, according to AP, and it is seeking additional funding through a reverse merger. AP described the approach as a way to get quickly to public-market financing by taking over a Trump-linked company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange that owns some Florida golf courses.
The AP story also described how Trump’s oldest sons have expanded their business interests since Trump took office again, including through equity stakes in other ventures that range from cryptocurrency and prediction-market businesses to federal contractors making rocket parts and rare earth magnets. AP said the Trump Organization—where the two sons serve as executives—did not respond to a request for comment, and that it has previously dismissed claims of conflicts of interest in their earlier business expansions.
Asked by AP about potential Powerus conflicts of interest, Eric Trump sent a statement saying, “I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future.” AP reported that Powerus first became known publicly through a deal announced last month that would bring Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. aboard.
In the broader context of the Iran conflict, the Powerus effort reflects the growing competition among drone and counter-drone suppliers, but the pitch also highlights a central political question: whether wartime procurement and U.S.-linked defense leadership can overlap with private business gains when senior family members hold stakes in suppliers.