From “America First” to “Family First”: Trumps’ Hidden Profits from Iran War
ANGLO AMERICA, 4 May 2026
Brian Hudson | Daily Kos - TRANSCEND Media Service
14 Apr 2026 – In modern US history, war has consistently been a source of wealth for a small minority. The stocks of defense companies surge with every missile launched toward its target. Yet the current U.S. war with Iran differs fundamentally from previous conflicts in two key ways: first, its staggering costs and lack of congressional authorization; and second, the identity of those who directly profit from the flames—namely, the president’s sons and son-in-law. Donald Trump, who returned to the White House on a promise to end “endless wars” and champion “America First,” is now engaged in a full-scale war with Iran—one initiated without congressional approval and pursued alongside direct investments by his close relatives in lucrative military and diplomatic ventures.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump branded himself a “peace president” and pledged to end America’s endless wars in the Middle East. Yet on February 28, 2026, he launched the military operation “Epic Storm” against Iran, in coordination with Israel—without even seeking congressional authorization. The cost of the war reached $11.3 billion in its first week alone. The Pentagon is now requesting an additional $200 billion in funding—an amount exceeding the total U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel over the past two years combined. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to criticism by stating, “It’s obvious that killing bad people costs money.” Still, the central question remains: why is a president elected on a promise to “save American lives” now pursuing such a costly war?
To find the answer, one must look beyond official narratives. Credible polls show that only 30 percent of North Americans support the war, while Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 35 percent. Even among traditional Republicans, support for the war has declined by 48 percent. Nevertheless, the president has not only refused to back down but is also pushing for a $600 billion increase in the Pentagon’s budget. This persistence, in defiance of voters’ clear preferences, begins to make sense when we examine who stands to profit from the continuation of the conflict.
At the very moment when the Middle East was engulfed in missile and drone strikes, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump signed a partnership deal with “Powers,” a Florida-based drone manufacturer. The company now sells interceptor drones to Persian Gulf states—countries under Iranian attack and dependent on the U.S. military, led by the president himself, for their survival. “Powers” is also competing for a share of the $1.1 billion in Pentagon funding allocated for domestic military drone production, a budget created after the ban on drone imports from China.
Eric Trump defended the investment, saying, “I am very proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are undoubtedly the wave of the future.” In contrast, Jordan Libowitz, vice president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, warned in an interview with NDTV: “There is concern that the president of the United States has started a war that could make money for his own family.”
However, the most extensive web of financial interests centers around Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and his “special envoy for peace.” Kushner holds no official government position, yet he leads sensitive peace negotiations with Iran and Arab countries—while simultaneously raising funds from those same governments for his private investment firm, Affinity Partners. The New York Times has reported that Kushner is currently negotiating to secure $5 billion in new investments from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—governments that have already invested tens of billions in his firm.
By the end of 2025, Affinity Partners had grown its assets to $6.2 billion. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund alone has invested $2 billion in the company. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, in a letter to the White House, warned: “Given Kushner’s significant influence over foreign policy—including ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine—the public urgently needs transparency regarding his role and financial ties.” Senator Elizabeth Warren also criticized the situation, noting that Kushner “is in the Middle East during a war with Iran, seeking to raise $5 billion for his private firm,” calling it “one of the most egregious grifts to date.”
A key quote from Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer, encapsulates the essence of these concerns: “This will be the first presidential family to make a lot of money off a war.” What was once limited to rising defense stock values has now evolved into direct investments by the president’s sons in drone companies, alongside the son-in-law’s efforts to raise billions from countries involved in the conflict. Trump’s sons are selling defense technology to nations under Iranian attack and reliant on the U.S. military, while Kushner is leveraging his role as a peace envoy to secure massive investments from the very governments with which he is negotiating ceasefires.
Under these circumstances, the slogan “America First” has, in practice, become “Family First.” The cost of this transformation is borne not by the Trump family, but by US soldiers and Iranian civilians. When the history of this conflict is written, it will likely be remembered not as a necessary war, but as the first war in U.S. history waged for the private enrichment of a president’s family.
Tags: Corruption, Trump, USA, White house
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