Judd Legum

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The money behind the new Iran War In private calls over the last several weeks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to attack Iran.

7. More on the money behind the new Iran War in today's Popular Information

6. The new Iran War also comes weeks after PIF financed a $7 billion development deal in Saudi Arabia with the Trump Organization.

The Trump-branded hotel and golf course is part of Diriyah, a $63 billion development funded entirely by PIF.

5. The UAE is another backer of Kushner, investing about $200 million with his firm.

Days before the inauguration, the UAE purchased 49% of World Liberty Financial, a crypto company owned by Trump and Witkoff

The purchase netted the Trump family $187 million and the Witkoff family $31 million

4. After raising billions for the Saudis and other foreign governments, Kushner dismissed concerns about conflicts of interest, pledging he would not be involved in Trump’s second term.

Once Trump took office, he abandoned that pledge and said his financial conflicts made him more effective.

3. In 2021, Saudi Arabia invested $2 billion in Kushner's private equity fund and has paid him $125 million+ in management fees.

The Saudis also partnered with Kushner to purchase video game maker EA, the largest leveraged buyout in history.

2. Despite the glaring conflicts-of-interest, Trump installed Kushner as a top negotiator with Iranian officials.

Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff participated in a mediation session with their Iranian counterparts on Thursday, billed as a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

The money behind the new Iran War In private calls over the last several weeks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to attack Iran.

1. According to multiple reports both Saudi Arabia and the UAE lobbied Trump to attack Iran.

Both countries have increased their influence with Trump by investing billions in projects that personally enrich Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

“If Kamala wins, only death and destruction await because she is the candidate of endless wars. I am the candidate of peace. I am peace.” - Trump, 11/1/24

“I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop wars.” - Trump, 11/5/24

Deeply conflicted, Kushner represents the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with Iran Today in Geneva, Switzerland, Jared Kushner will represent the United States in meetings with Iranian officials — a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

Just a reminder: instead of an actual diplomat, we sent Trump’s deeply compromised son-in-law as the lead negotiator to avert war with Iran.

popular.info/p/deeply-con...

In a new filing with the SEC, Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, revealed that in 2025 it lost $712 million and brought in just $3.7 million in revenue.

"We did not protect President Trump" -- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, 1/30/26

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Deeply conflicted, Kushner represents the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with Iran Today in Geneva, Switzerland, Jared Kushner will represent the United States in meetings with Iranian officials — a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

6. The Trump administration tries to claim Kushner is just a "volunteer." But that argument does not pass legal muster. I break it down in today's Popular Information.

5. This is exactly why it is in the Constitution that you cannot be a US government official and simultaneously be paid by foreign governments.

Deeply conflicted, Kushner represents the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with Iran Today in Geneva, Switzerland, Jared Kushner will represent the United States in meetings with Iranian officials — a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

4. Kushner's top clients, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are large oil producers. They work with OPEC to keep oil prices high.

If Iranian oil hit the market, it could drive oil prices lower and hurt their economic prospects.

3. The US wants Iran to agree to restrictions on its nuclear program.

In return, Iran will ask for sanctions relief. The most valuable sanctions relief the US can offer is for Iranian oil.

2. Kushner is being paid tens of millions of dollars annually by foreign governments, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

This is a huge problem for these negotiations.

Deeply conflicted, Kushner represents the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with Iran Today in Geneva, Switzerland, Jared Kushner will represent the United States in meetings with Iranian officials — a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

1. Today, Jared Kushner is in Geneva representing the US in high-stakes negotiations with Iran.

It is a last ditch effort to avoid war.

But Kushner has debilitating financial conflicts that makes a deal less likely.

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Trump’s new tariffs are just as illegal as his old tariffs Numerous media outlets are spreading false information about the law — and Trump is benefiting.

8. This reporting has created the false impression that the temporary 15% measure is on firmer legal footing than the tariffs that were just struck down by the Supreme Court. In reality, the new tariffs are just as illegal as the ones they replaced.

7. Other media outlets suggested that the Trade Act gives Trump broad authority to impose global tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days, without mentioning the limitations.

Trump’s new tariffs are just as illegal as his old tariffs Numerous media outlets are spreading false information about the law — and Trump is benefiting.

6. Since there is no balance-of-payments deficit, Trump has no authority under the law to impose a tariff under the Trade Act.

(The Trade Act of 1974 mentions balance-of-trade but only authorizes tariff *reductions* in response.)

5. Balance-of-payments goes beyond goods and services and covers all the money flows between countries. There are large inflows of foreign capital into U.S. Treasury bonds, stocks, and other financial instruments. That is why, despite a large trade deficit, the balance-of-payments deficit is ZERO.

4. Balance-of-trade and balance-of-payments are two distinct concepts. Balance-of-trade looks at the goods and services sold to other countries and subtracts the goods and services imported. Last year the US had a trade deficit of about $900 billion.

3. Section 122 of the Trade Act gives the president the authority to temporarily impose tariffs in response to “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits,” not trade deficits. The United States does not have a balance-of-payments deficit, much less a large and serious one.

2. Several prominent outlets falsely reported that the Trade Act of 1974 gives Trump the legal authority to impose temporary tariffs of up to 15% in response to *trade deficits*

THIS IS NOT TRUE

Trump’s new tariffs are just as illegal as his old tariffs Numerous media outlets are spreading false information about the law — and Trump is benefiting.

1.

FACT: Trump’s new tariffs are just as illegal as his old tariffs

But numerous media outlets are spreading false information about the law — and Trump is benefiting.

Let's break it down.