SouthernWorldwide.com – A report published by The New York Times this week, titled “Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit,” has drawn a strong legal response from the Trump Organization. The article links President Donald Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with the sons of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to a significant tungsten deal with Kazakhstan.
The deal in question was reportedly secured by President Donald Trump during a meeting with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in September 2025. The Trump Organization’s attorney, Alan Garten, has penned a letter to The Times, asserting that the article is “deeply misleading” and intentionally crafted to create a false impression of involvement and influence by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in the awarding of the Kazakhstan tungsten mine project to an affiliate of Cove Capital.
In a statement, The Times’ Executive Director of Media Relations, Charlie Stadtlander, acknowledged that the letter primarily disputes the prominence given to the fact that the brothers were indirect and passive investors. He noted that this point is clearly outlined within the article itself.
Tungsten is a critical mineral for the United States, vital for the development of military equipment such as missiles and fighter jets. Currently, China, Russia, and North Korea exert significant control over the global supply of this resource. Consequently, securing a stable source of tungsten has been a strategic priority for the Trump administration.
Kazakhstan possesses substantial tungsten reserves. Early in his second term, President Trump actively pursued a deal with the Central Asian nation to access its tungsten supply. This effort occurred even as his administration’s own tariff policies had contributed to price increases and supply chain disruptions for the import of this metal.
The groundwork for this agreement culminated in a meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in New York in September 2025. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hosted President Tokayev, and President Trump joined by phone. According to The Times, a verbal agreement was reached for the United States to procure tungsten, with official letters of interest from U.S. government financing agencies being signed in November.
The New York Times report bases its findings on the Trump brothers’ connection to an investment firm named Dominari Securities. The brothers reportedly invest in certain deals facilitated by Dominari and hold a minority stake in its parent company, Dominari Holdings Inc.
A source close to the matter detailed how Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump became passive investors in the tungsten mining operation. An investment fund managed by Dominari Securities invested in a publicly traded construction company, Skyline Builders, in August 2025.
Following the verbal agreement in September 2025, Skyline Builders approached Cove Capital, the entity that invested in the tungsten mining project. The aim was to solicit a merger that would enable Cove Capital’s affiliate, Cove Kaz, to become a publicly traded company. This project has received backing through letters of interest from U.S. government financing agencies, totaling up to $1.6 billion.
The source emphasized that at no point did the Trump brothers exert any influence over the decision to award the mining contract to Kaz Resources. This assertion is echoed in the letter to The Times, which explicitly states, “Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had absolutely no involvement in the award of the Kazakhstan project.”
Further communications indicate that Cove Capital leadership never engaged in discussions with either of the Trump brothers regarding financing support before it was finalized. This directly contradicts any implication of direct involvement or influence.
The letter to The Times argues that the publication intentionally misled readers by implying a significant connection between the brothers and the tungsten mining project, when in reality, their relationship was tenuous and indirect.
“Indeed, in a message to my clients sent prior to publication of the story, your team expressly acknowledged that Don and Eric were not ‘actively a part of this deal,'” the letter states, citing communication from The Times’ own team.
Based on these facts, the Trump Organization demands a prompt retraction or prominent correction of the article. They insist that any future reporting accurately reflect the undisputed facts, particularly that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had no operational role in any of the involved entities, no involvement in the Kazakhstan project or its negotiations, and, based on the chronological timeline, could not have influenced the project’s award.
The letter concludes by explicitly reserving all rights and remedies, including the possibility of legal action, to address the issue. The statement reiterates the timeline of events and underscores that the Trump brothers had no control over Cove Capital, its affiliates, or Skyline Builders.
“Of course, all of these facts are readily ascertainable and could have easily been verified had anyone from the New York Times or any other publication that republished this supposed story performed even the slightest amount of due diligence before proceeding with such reckless and unfounded assertions,” the statement added.
The White House also commented on the matter, indicating its awareness of the situation.
