Exclusive: The Trump Organization demands a retraction from the New York Times, labeling a story as ‘libelous’ and claiming it was intentionally misleading concerning financial impropriety by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. This request is detailed within a legal letter acquired by Fox News Digital.
The story in question is titled “Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit.” It links Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s sons, to a tungsten deal secured by President Donald Trump with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, scheduled for September 2025.
Alan Garten, Trump Organization’s attorney, addressed the letter to Joseph Kahn, the editor-in-chief of The Times, and the story’s authors, Eric Lipton and Paul Sonne. He argued that the June 28 article was misleading and intentionally crafted to imply unfounded involvement by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
“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,” Garten wrote.
Responding to the letter, a spokesperson for The New York Times defended the article’s content and affirmed its accuracy. The spokesperson stated the main point of the story was that Eric and Donald Jr. profited from the U.S.-Kazakh tungsten mining agreement. The spokesperson added the brothers were set out in the story as indirect and passive investors.
Tungsten is vital for military equipment such as missiles and fighter jets. Presently, Russia, China, and North Korea dominate the market. The Trump administration prioritized securing a supply pipeline for tungsten, and Kazakhstan holds substantial reserves.
The New York meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in September 2025, where President Trump joined by phone, led to a verbal agreement for the U.S. to procure tungsten from Kazakhstan. Letters of interest from U.S. government financing agencies were signed in November.
The Times report explored the Trump brothers’ connection to Dominari Securities, an investment firm. The brothers are passive investors in some Dominari deals with a minority share in its parent company, Dominari Holdings Inc.
A source explained Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.’s passive role. Dominari Securities invested in Skyline Builders, a construction company, in August 2025. After the verbal agreement, Skyline Builders approached Cove Capital for a merger that would publicize Cove Kaz.
At no point did the brothers influence the decision to award the mining contract, as reiterated by multiple sources. The Trump Organization’s letter is clear about the brothers’ lack of involvement or influence over the project and companies involved.
The letter from Trump Organization demands The New York Times correct the perceived false impression created by the article and accurately reflect undisputed facts. Echoing this sentiment, a statement to Fox News Digital accused The New York Times of publishing misleading, libelous misinformation without adequate due diligence.
Kush Desai, White House spokesman, emphasized the Trump administration’s commitment to America’s best interest. He asserted efforts to secure and reshore critical supply chains like tungsten have been a priority.
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