Trump Organization Criticizes New York Times Article
The Trump Organization has demanded a retraction from The New York Times concerning an article that they describe as ‘libelous’ and allegedly intended to implicate Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in financial misconduct. This response comes from a legal letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
The Times published a story entitled “Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit.” This piece connects Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s sons, to a tungsten agreement engineered by President Donald Trump with Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten, in correspondence with The Times, asserted that the article was misleading, ascribing involvement to Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in securing the Kazakhstan tungsten mine project.
The letter, addressed to Editor-in-Chief Joseph Kahn and authors Eric Lipton and Paul Sonne, affirms:
Your June 28 article is deeply misleading and appears deliberately crafted to create the false impression that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were involved in, or sought to influence, the decision to award the Kazakhstan tungsten mine project to an affiliate of Cove Capital.
A Times spokesperson defended its reporting, emphasizing that the article does not deny the claim that Trump Jr. and Eric Trump benefited from the U.S.-Kazakh tungsten agreement.
Tungsten is integral for the U.S. military, used in equipment like missiles and fighter jets. China, Russia, and North Korea currently dominate its supply, prompting the Trump administration to prioritize securing a source of this mineral.
The Kazakhstan deal became formalized during a September 2025 meeting in New York. Letters of interest from U.S. financing agencies, amounting to $1.6 billion, followed in November.
The Times’ report mentions the Trump brothers’ involvement with Dominari Securities, an investment firm. A source clarified that Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were passive investors, having no control over decisions related to the tungsten project.
US government agencies provided financing totaling $1.6 billion, yet the brothers did not influence the decision to grant the mining contract.
Garten’s letter argues:
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had absolutely no involvement in the award of the Kazakhstan project.
According to the letter, Cove Capital was introduced to Skyline Builders after the verbal agreement with Kaz Resources, distancing the Trump brothers from any direct involvement.
Both legal letters and communications with Fox News demonstrate the brothers’ lack of interaction with Cove Capital prior to project financing.
The Trump Organization has accused The Times of deliberate misrepresentation, urging a correction or retraction. The White House has stated the administration’s decisions prioritize American interests, not personal gain.