by Serwan Zangana
Eric Trump, the President’s son and chief strategy advisor of the company developing and testing “Phantom” humanoid robots to assist and strengthen the U.S military in the battle field, has been awarded a $24 million Pentagon contract. Developing humanoids is significant as to integrate to a better human environment, eliminate the robotic feeling, assist the military, and hence, surpasses China in this field.
However, the question: Is granting this multimillion dollar contract by President Trump’s administration to his son, Eric, a conflict of interest? Or Can this contract be considered as an unethical act or an abuse of the Presidential power?
According to Liz Landers, a PBS correspondent covering the White House and President Trump, that the President’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are not government officials and they are not subject to federal ethics rules. Therefore, they conduct their business globally without abiding any federal law or perceiving it as a conflict of interests.
However, President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was asked in the past about the conflict of interest as him and the American billionaire, Steve Witkoff worked on Gaza peace agreement with the region’s leaders, he said, “What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world.”
President Trump has been sketching his plan very wisely in benefiting from his position as the President of the U.S and boosting his business and increasing his fortune through his family. The White House correspondent, Peter Baker wrote in “Times” that Trump’s “ have done more to monetize the presidency than anyone who has ever occupied the White House.”
President Trump’s business deals and agreements with the rich Arab nations, such as the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through his administration have profited his personal business. Boasting about America first and a strong economy, President Trump is not willing to see the American reality as average American people are struggling while his wealth is increasing.
By approaching the American people as a conservative and leading the American conservatism, and also winning the Christians’ voters, specifically White Evangelicals, Trump successfully ascended to the White House. But seemingly, Trump is not carrying the conservative principles, and his characters and demeanors do not align with conservative values.
Many Trump supporters have already stepped away and feel alienated as they are seeing him utilizing his office for personal profits. According to Center for American Progress (CAP), since the 2024 reelection, the Trump family has earned more than $1.8 billion from cash and gifts.
President Trump has assured the American people that he separated himself from his business, as his family is the only one who conducts business. “ I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left and when I devoted 100% of my energy…what my family does is fine.” Trump said in response to an ABC reporter, who asked him about the appropriateness of his family conducting business in Saudi Arabia while he is the President of the U.S and if it is a conflict of interest.
But Trump’s actions have been contradicting his statements, and the majority of American people, including his supporters, are indeed disappointed with his conduct and policy. But the question is: As the Republicans have criticized former President Joe Biden during his 4 years of Presidency for causing financial difficulty for Americans and high gas prices, do they have the audacity to criticize President Trump for the same crisis?
