The meetings were meant to be confidential, with non-disclosure agreements and strict instructions to all parties to stay quiet. But when the US president’s eldest son comes to town — Secret Service in tow — word tends to spread fast. Donald Trump Jr’s world tour to Mongolia, Estonia and Poland in the early autumn attracted press attention and Instagram stories.
But the discussions with potential business partners received less publicity — as did his conversations with senior government figures. Trump Jr and his brother Eric have made a habit of meeting foreign officials and politicians: the FT has documented at least 18 such encounters since their father began his second term in January 2025. These include conversations with at least six current and former prime ministers or heads of state, nine senior ministers or officials, and two groups of politicians from places as diverse as Vietnam, Serbia and Somaliland.
As sons of the sitting US president, Trump Jr and Eric often seem to be greeted as emissaries of the Trump administration — despite the fact that neither man holds a formal government role. Some content could not load. Check your internet connection or browser settings.
Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer in the Bush administration and Trump critic, says it would be “highly improper” for Trump’s sons to meet with foreign leaders in any diplomatic capacity, as they are not official emissaries nor subject to conflict-of-interest laws. Trump Jr’s spokesperson said he always clarifies with any government official he meets that he is not an emissary nor involved in his father’s administration. However it might appear, the Trumps have seized the moment to maximise the profits of their businesses, building a tangled web of financial connections with the potential for conflicts of interest.
A huge chunk of President Trump’s personal income last year, which topped $2bn, came from his sons’ ventures. He reaped over $500mn from sales of tokens from World Liberty Financial, the crypto business co-founded by the brothers, as well as hundreds of millions from the family’s traditional real estate company. The Trump Organization has earned tens of millions from at least 20 new projects launched overseas since Trump’s 2024 campaign, according to the company’s announcements and the president’s ethics disclosure.
Because Trump Jr and Eric are not government employees, their business relationships and finances are more opaque. The brothers have investments and advisory roles in companies across industries — including some being transformed by US policy such as crypto, defence and critical minerals. Eric and Donald Jr with their father, US President Donald Trump, in New York.
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