Peter Navarro Intervened in $620 Million Vulcan Deal Tied to Trump Jr., ProPublica Reports
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 28
Peter Navarro Intervened in $620 Million Vulcan Deal Tied to Trump Jr., ProPublica Reports
11 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 28
ProPublica reported that White House adviser Peter Navarro intervened to help secure a $620 million deal for rare-earth startup Vulcan Elements, a company tied to Donald Trump Jr.
A later account said Navarro asked the Pentagon to approve a loan for the company, sharpening questions about whether administration officials steered government support toward Trump-linked businesses.
Pentagon and Trump Jr. spokespeople told ProPublica that the president’s son was not involved, while the White House said the administration is acting in the public interest.
The Vulcan report landed alongside other scrutiny over a $9.7 billion Pentagon software contract for Dell and the CFTC’s move to unwind a $5 million Gemini settlement, giving Democrats fresh material for self-dealing attacks.
How can government fast-track critical funding while ensuring fair competition and preventing conflicts of interest?
When a record loan makes a small firm worth $2 billion, how do we measure the actual return for national security?