Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are planning to invest in Powerus, a drone startup aiming to capitalize on surging demand from the Pentagon amid tightening U.S. restrictions on Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the Wall Street Journal, the West Palm Beach-based company intends to manufacture drones by acquiring advanced Ukrainian combat technology, specifically adapted and marketed for the U.S. military. The firm noted two primary catalysts driving the sector's expansion: the push for U.S. domestic manufacturing to decouple from long-standing Chinese dominance and the Pentagon’s escalating reliance on drones as the "weaponry of the future" in recent military operations. Industry experts cited by the Journal anticipate a massive boom in drone technology over the coming years, pointing to the transformative impact these low-cost systems have had on the power dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war. Founded last year, Powerus was established as part of a broader strategy to consolidate and advance drone capabilities. Powerus is currently executing a reverse merger with a publicly traded holding company—which holds golf course assets and enjoys Trump family backing—a deal expected to lead to a Nasdaq listing in the coming months. In a company statement, Powerus highlighted the conflict in the Middle East as evidence of the project's strategic viability. The company is strategically leveraging geopolitical shifts and U.S. import bans on Chinese technology to position itself as a key player in meeting the growing needs of the American defense establishment.
