{"id":53734,"date":"2026-03-06T07:11:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T12:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53734"},"modified":"2026-03-20T13:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T17:36:42","slug":"yikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53734","title":{"rendered":"<h1><span style=\"color: #003300;\">MUST READ! EVERYONE! THEN POST &#038; SEND OUT EVERYWHERE!<\/span><\/h1>"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53725\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4a49446f7e3aebcab93e354bdb1a0798-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4a49446f7e3aebcab93e354bdb1a0798-1.jpg 636w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4a49446f7e3aebcab93e354bdb1a0798-1-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>HARD PROOF!<\/strong><br \/>\nPresident Trump and his cohorts<br \/>\nare stone-cold war profiteers,<br \/>\nplundering predatory plutocrats<br \/>\nand calculating disaster capitalists.<br \/>\nAnd here&#8217;s the hard evidence.<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53719\">SOTN<\/a> Editor&#8217;s Note<\/h3>\n<p>No one has ever seen anything like it before&#8212;NEVER in American history!<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s as though the entire Trump administration was structured according to a very cold and calculating <strong>&#8220;GRIFT &amp; GRAFT&#8221;<\/strong> business model.<\/p>\n<p>In point of fact, virtually every single member of Trump&#8217;s cabinet, as well as many other senior White House officials, are involved directly in one illicit lucrative scheme or another.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, instead of blackmailing and\/or bribing all of them with Epsteingate evidence, they&#8217;re simply bought via so many government-contrived HUGE profit-making enterprises.\u00a0 The <strong>Khazarian Cabal<\/strong> knows how to do this better than any other criminal secret society on the planet. See: <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=44669\">But who rules the Khazarian Cabal?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Look, President Trump is first and foremost a businessman, not necessarily a good businessman, but he sees himself as a big, wheeling and dealing tycoon, nevertheless.\u00a0 He really does pride himself as a highly successful dealmaker (he&#8217;s not) who thinks he has mastered at the &#8220;Art of the Deal&#8221; (he hasn&#8217;t).\u00a0 Donald J. Trump is actually an entirely MADE MAN perhaps as no other CON MAN and business fraud in U.S. history.<\/p>\n<p>This critical and extremely flawed aspect of his persona has literally brought the entire world community of nations to the very brink of a nuclear World War III.\u00a0 By the way, we are writing this Ed. Note for the benefit of Trump &amp; Company.\u00a0 Because Team Trump was both assembled and currently exists in such a self-enriching bubble, those ever-scheming clucks cannot see further than the next Benjamin or Billion that they stand to make.\u00a0 \u00a0So hopefully they&#8217;ll see this expos\u00e9.\u00a0 But who, exactly, are &#8220;they&#8221;?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The second iteration of the Trump Administration is the wealthiest ruling clique in American history. Trump tapped a total of 13 billionaires to serve in his second term. Even putting aside Elon Musk, these oligarchs have a combined net worth of almost $600 billion. Whether you are Linda McMahon, who effectively has no experience in education, or known Wall Street hustler Howard Lutnick, the administration\u2019s power comes entirely from its donor class.&#8221;<br \/>\n<em>(Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53743\"><strong>Tracking Oligarchs in Trump World<\/strong><\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"Y3BBE\" data-hveid=\"CAIQAA\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Key Business Personnel in the Trump Administration (2025-2026)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"KsbFXc U6u95\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQAA\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Howard Lutnick (Commerce Secretary):<\/strong> CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, previously\u00a0the world&#8217;s largest inter-dealer broker of U.S. government securities<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQAQ\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Scott Bessent (Treasury Secretary):<\/strong> Founder of Key Square Capital Management and former Chief Investment Officer for Soros Fund Management\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQAg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Elon Musk (Leader, U.S. DOGE Service):<\/strong> CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Company, xAI and X.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQAw\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Doug Burgum (Secretary of the Interior):<\/strong>\u00a0Software entrepreneur who sold Great Plains Software to Microsoft.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQBA\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_1g\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Kelly Loeffler<\/span>\u00a0(Small Business Administration):<\/strong>\u00a0Former CEO of Bakkt and former U.S. Senator.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQBg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_1l\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Linda McMahon<\/span>\u00a0(Education Secretary):<\/strong> Co-founder (and previous CEO\/president) of sports entertainment company Titan Sports (later World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQCA\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_1q\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Steven Witkoff<\/span>\u00a0(Special Envoy to the Middle East):<\/strong> Real estate investor and founder of the Witkoff Group<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQCg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_1v\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Jared Isaacman<\/span>\u00a0(NASA Administrator):<\/strong>\u00a0Billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQDA\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_20\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Charles Kushner<\/span>\u00a0(Ambassador to France):<\/strong> Real estate developer and founder of Kushner Companies\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQDg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_25\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Vivek Ramaswamy<\/span>\u00a0(Co-leader, U.S. DOGE Service):<\/strong> Founder and CEO of Roivant Sciences, a biotechnological pharmaceutical company<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQEA\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_2a\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Massad Boulos<\/span>\u00a0(Middle East Advisor):<\/strong> CEO of SCOA Nigeria PLC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQEg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><span data-wiz-uids=\"q5yDRc_2f\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Frank Bisignano<\/span>\u00a0(Social Security Administration Commissioner):<\/strong>\u00a0Chairman and CEO of Fiserv.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQEg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong>Stephen Feinberg (Deputy Secretary of Defense):<\/strong> Private equity titan, co-founder and former CEO of Cerberus Capital Management <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQEg\" data-processed=\"true\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong>Warren Stephens (Ambassador to the United Kingdom):<\/strong> Chairman, president and chief executive officer of Stephens Inc., a privately held investment bank<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"dF3vjf\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAMQEg\" data-processed=\"true\"><strong><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">Tilman Fertitta (United States ambassador to Italy): <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">O<\/span><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\">wner of the entertainment company Landry&#8217;s and the National Basketball Association&#8217;s Houston Rockets<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For a much more comprehensive list of billionaire-level pillaging oligarchs and predacious raptors, who have been swirling in and around the Trump administration from even before his 2025 Inauguration Day, see <a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53743\"><strong>The Half-Trillion Dollar Trump Posse<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Truly, the exceedingly rapacious, money-making camarilla known as the Trump administration has become the poster child for the notorious &#8220;Kleptocracy&#8221;.\u00a0 And each one of them was selected to be a part of the &#8220;Club&#8221; because they could be counted on, given all of their professional experience and work history, to connive together thick as thieves.\u00a0 And so they do &#8230; &#8230; &#8230; to the great detriment of the American people and the Republic and the world-at-large.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&#8220;Dear SOTN Editor &#8212; this is one of the most stunning things I&#8217;ve ever read; it leaves me feeling numb and incredulous. My God, this is high treason on steroids, corruption unlike anything we&#8217;ve ever seen. This administration is a mafia crime family like no other in U.S. history; it&#8217;s a RICO-level international crime syndicate of the highest order!&#8221;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Now read on to see how the Trump administration is nothing but a U.S. governmental organ of the <strong>Khazarian Cabal<\/strong> and administrative arm of the <strong><em>Khazarian Mafia <\/em><\/strong>(See: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=11386\">THE MOST DANGEROUS ENTITY EVER CREATED<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=53719\">State of the Nation<\/a><br \/>\nMarch 5, 2026<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1 class=\"post-title published title-X77sOw\" dir=\"auto\">Iran War: We Follow The Money (To Mar-A-Lago)<\/h1>\n<h3>How the Mar-A-Lago Gang is Cashing In On The Iran War<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53482\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ae8fdf20-a913-4c78-a08d-897c72a88616_2048x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ae8fdf20-a913-4c78-a08d-897c72a88616_2048x1024.jpg 1456w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ae8fdf20-a913-4c78-a08d-897c72a88616_2048x1024-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ae8fdf20-a913-4c78-a08d-897c72a88616_2048x1024-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ae8fdf20-a913-4c78-a08d-897c72a88616_2048x1024-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>by <a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@thedemocracydefender\/posts\">The Democracy Defender<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here is a number to sit with:\u00a0<strong>$2,000 per truckload.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the fee a little-known Florida company called Gothams LLC \u2014 the same firm that ran the \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d immigrant detention center \u2014 wants to charge for every single humanitarian aid truck entering a conflict zone under American control. Commercial trucks? $12,000 each. The contract they pitched to the White House demands a\u00a0<strong>seven-year monopoly<\/strong>\u00a0on all trucking and logistics, with a\u00a0<strong>guaranteed 300% return on capital expenditure.<\/strong>\u00a0Federal contracting experts called it \u201chighway robbery.\u201d The White House claimed the proposal was shelved. Records show Gothams partners were still coordinating with administration officials as recently as early 2026.<\/p>\n<p>This is the Iran war.<\/p>\n<p>Not the one you\u2019re being told about \u2014 the one wrapped in flags and \u201cnational security\u201d and solemn talk of nuclear threats. That war exists too, of course. But beneath it runs a parallel architecture, a financial machinery so brazen in its design that it makes the Iraq-era Halliburton contracts look quaint by comparison. In this war, every cabinet member has a financial stake. Every bomb dropped is a live-fire sales demo. Every barrel of Iranian crude pulled off the global market is a windfall for a politically connected fracking company in Texas. And when the rubble settles, the people carving up the reconstruction aren\u2019t diplomats \u2014 they\u2019re real estate billionaires pitching luxury hotels and artificial islands to sovereign wealth funds in Riyadh.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t a byproduct of the conflict.\u00a0<strong>It is the conflict.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Seeds of War<\/h2>\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset pubTheme-yiXxQA\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Before following the money, it\u2019s worth understanding how this began.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Approximately\u00a0<strong>70% of Trump\u2019s cabinet<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>more than 50 government officials<\/strong>\u00a0have direct prior roles with the Heritage Foundation or its Project 2025 partner groups. That is not a statistic that gets enough attention. The Heritage Foundation \u2014 through Project 2025 and the subsequent \u201cProject 2026\u201d \u2014 didn\u2019t just publish a policy wish list. It built a\u00a0<strong>personnel pipeline<\/strong>\u00a0that placed hundreds of vetted loyalists into the federal bureaucracy, each one committed to a specific task: centralize executive power, dismantle regulatory oversight, and an \u201cAmerica First\u201d foreign policy that treats military force as the default instrument of statecraft.<\/p>\n<p>The Iran war is what that pipeline was built to produce. Discussions began with Colin Powell addressing Heritage in 2018 and actionable \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d policy was drawn up in 2022-2023.<\/p>\n<p>For decades, Heritage has advocated for the destruction of the Iran nuclear deal, for \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d campaigns, and for the explicit position that the Iranian regime cannot be negotiated with \u2014 only confronted. Their scholars have called the current moment a \u201cgolden window of opportunity.\u201d Their policy papers called for \u201csustained operations involving weeks of bombing.\u201d Their Sentinel Action Fund \u2014 a Super PAC \u2014 lobbied for the exact defense appropriations now funding the carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n<p><em>This was not a reaction to events.<\/em>\u00a0It was a strategy waiting for the right President and the opportunity to execute it. And the personnel is now in place \u2014 not just ideologues, but\u00a0<strong>billionaires with portfolios that rise and fall with every decision they make from inside the government.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Which brings us to the money.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Pentagon as a Private Equity Portfolio: Stephen Feinberg<\/h2>\n<p>The Department of Defense now officially goes by a secondary title: the \u201cDepartment of War.\u201d The name change is telling, but the real transformation is structural in a financial sense.<\/p>\n<p>At the center of it sits\u00a0<strong>Stephen Feinberg<\/strong>, co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management \u2014 a private equity firm with approximately\u00a0<strong>$70 billion dollars in assets<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 who serves as the Deputy Secretary of Defense. While Pete Hegseth plays the role of ideological figurehead, talking \u201cwarrior ethos\u201d to the cameras, Feinberg is the one actually running the Pentagon\u2019s $900 billion-plus budget. He manages it, according to observers, with the \u201cterrifyingly intense scrutiny\u201d of a corporate turnaround specialist. Which is exactly what he is.<\/p>\n<p>Feinberg signed an ethics agreement to divest his Cerberus interests. Then he didn\u2019t. He maintained financial ties to the firm through administrative service contracts for accounting and tax compliance \u2014 contracts he claimed were \u201cimpossible\u201d to transition to an outside provider. That\u2019s a convenient \u201cimpossibility\u201d when your \u201cformer\u201d firm\u2019s portfolio is a direct beneficiary of the war you\u2019re helping run.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what Cerberus owns:<\/p>\n<p>TABLE 1<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset can-restack\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53711\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fafd47a6-5711-42bf-a820-085896ed1535_1546x835.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fafd47a6-5711-42bf-a820-085896ed1535_1546x835.webp 1456w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fafd47a6-5711-42bf-a820-085896ed1535_1546x835-300x162.webp 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fafd47a6-5711-42bf-a820-085896ed1535_1546x835-1024x553.webp 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fafd47a6-5711-42bf-a820-085896ed1535_1546x835-768x415.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-link-expand\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The 2026 National Defense Strategy calls for investment in \u201cnovel technologies\u201d and \u201cautonomous systems.\u201d Cerberus Ventures \u2014 the firm\u2019s venture capital arm \u2014 Just happens to have focused its investment strategy on exactly these areas. And Feinberg, from his perch at the Pentagon, has loosened contracting regulations to create a \u201cfast track\u201d for smaller firms \u2014\u00a0<em>many with ties to Cerberus<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<strong>to secure sole-source, noncompetitive contracts<\/strong>\u00a0under the banner of \u201cmission-based requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The June 2025 strikes on Iran\u2019s Fordow nuclear facility weren\u2019t just military operations. They were\u00a0<strong>live-fire demonstrations<\/strong>\u00a0for hypersonic weapons systems developed by private equity-backed firms. Every successful strike is a proof of concept. Every proof of concept drives up the portfolio value. And the man overseeing Pentagon procurement is\u00a0<strong>financially connected<\/strong>\u00a0to the firms doing the selling.<\/p>\n<p>Feinberg has also advocated for \u201cclever financing models\u201d where private equity firms directly fund military infrastructure \u2014 data centers on military bases, for instance \u2014 creating long-term mechanisms for extracting rent from the defense budget itself. The Pentagon isn\u2019t just buying weapons from private equity. Under Feinberg, it\u2019s becoming a\u00a0<strong>tenant\u00a0<\/strong>that will be paying for decades to come<strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Commerce Secretary\u2019s Insider Bet: Howard Lutnick<\/h2>\n<p>If the Feinberg story is about slow structural corruption, the Howard Lutnick story is about something faster and more breathtaking:\u00a0<strong>a sitting cabinet member\u2019s firm betting against his own policies \u2014 and winning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, was confirmed as Commerce Secretary in February 2025. From that position, he oversaw the aggressive use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs and sanctions \u2014 the \u201cAmerica First\u201d trade war in its most weaponized form.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, his firm \u2014 now \u201crun by his son\u201d, Brandon Lutnick \u2014 was doing something extraordinary. Documents reviewed in July 2025, and a subsequent House Judiciary Committee investigation led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, revealed that Cantor Fitzgerald had been\u00a0<strong>buying the rights to collect potential tariff refunds<\/strong>\u00a0from American importers at\u00a0<strong>20 to 30 cents on the dollar.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Read that again. Lutnick\u2019s firm was buying up the claims of businesses damaged by Lutnick\u2019s own tariffs \u2014 at a massive discount \u2014 betting that the courts would eventually strike down those tariffs as illegal.<\/p>\n<p>On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court did exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>The result:\u00a0<strong>300% to 500% profit<\/strong>\u00a0for Lutnick\u2019s Cantor Fitzgerald on every claim they purchased.<\/p>\n<p>The incentive structure is almost too corrupt to believe:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The Commerce Secretary imposes aggressive, potentially illegal tariffs<\/strong>\u00a0that disrupt trade and damage American importers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Secretary\u2019s own firm buys the rights to eventual refunds<\/strong>\u00a0from these same injured companies \u2014 at pennies on the dollar.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When the courts strike down the tariffs<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 as the Secretary\u2019s firm clearly anticipated \u2014 it collects the full refund value.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>And the Iran war makes this worse, not better. The administration\u2019s use of IEEPA to target \u201cspecified imports\u201d and \u201cperceived threats\u201d related to the conflict creates a continuous stream of\u00a0<em>new\u00a0<\/em>distressed trade claims for Cantor Fitzgerald to scoop up. Every new sanction, every new emergency declaration, is a new batch of distressed companies for the Secretary\u2019s family firm to profit from.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Treasury Secretary\u2019s Generational Windfall: Scott Bessent<\/h2>\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset pubTheme-yiXxQA\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Heritage Foundation backed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is a former prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">George Soros<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0who ran Key Square Group, a macro hedge fund that \u2014 by design \u2014 makes its money from geopolitical volatility. Macro funds don\u2019t bet on individual stocks. They bet on\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">the chaos itself:<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0currency swings, commodity shocks, the ripple effects of sanctions and wars.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now imagine that investor sitting inside the\u00a0<strong>U.S. Treasury<\/strong>, with direct control over sanctions policy.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent agreed to divest from 28 assets, including private equity funds and Bitcoin trusts. He failed to do so within the required 90-day window. Ethics complaints followed. The Campaign Legal Center and the Democracy Forward Foundation filed formal complaints alleging he was holding assets specifically to benefit from the volatility he was helping to create.<\/p>\n<p>TABLE 2<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset can-restack\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53712\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a343f096-87a5-400c-bae5-9b65cd4b8f22_1542x859.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a343f096-87a5-400c-bae5-9b65cd4b8f22_1542x859.webp 1456w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a343f096-87a5-400c-bae5-9b65cd4b8f22_1542x859-300x167.webp 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a343f096-87a5-400c-bae5-9b65cd4b8f22_1542x859-1024x570.webp 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a343f096-87a5-400c-bae5-9b65cd4b8f22_1542x859-768x428.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-link-expand\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Iran conflict is the ultimate macro engine. When Bessent\u2019s Treasury Department sanctions individuals, entities, and vessels linked to the IRGC, those sanctions create massive swings in the Iranian rial, global oil futures, and the currencies of regional players like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. For a macro investor, this level of\u00a0<strong>insider visibility into the timing and severity of sanctions<\/strong>\u00a0is not merely advantageous. It is, as one analyst put it, a \u201cgenerational windfall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bessent controls when the disruptions happen. His former fund was built to profit from exactly these disruptions. And he never fully cut the cord.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">Drill Baby Drill &#8211; For War: Energy Secretary Chris Wright<\/h2>\n<p>If the Pentagon is where the weapons profits flow, the Energy Department is where the commodity profits pool.<\/p>\n<p>Heritage Foundation backed Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is the founder and former CEO of Liberty Energy, a fracking services company. His financial disclosures ran to over\u00a0<strong>1,800 pages.<\/strong>\u00a0They revealed energy-related stock holdings in the \u201ctens of millions of dollars,\u201d including nearly\u00a0<strong>3 million shares of Liberty Energy<\/strong>\u00a0held by Wright and his spouse. He agreed to reduce his holdings. The regulatory environment he personally oversees determines what those remaining holdings are worth.<\/p>\n<p>The Iran war is the best thing that could have happened to domestic oil and gas producers, and Wright knows it. The administration\u2019s \u201cmaximum economic pressure\u201d campaign against Iran \u2014 sanctioning over 30 entities, targeting the Iranian \u201cshadow fleet\u201d \u2014 has pulled millions of barrels of crude off the global market. When you combine that artificial supply constraint with the ever-present threat of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz (now closed, and through which roughly 20% of the world\u2019s oil passes), the result is predictable:\u00a0<strong>energy prices go up.<\/strong>\u00a0American shale producers \u2014 the very industry Wright built his career in \u2014 rush to fill the gap.<\/p>\n<p>This is Wright\u2019s stated vision made manifest. He has publicly argued that hydrocarbons \u201cstill fuel roughly 85% of global energy supply\u201d and has worked to dismantle climate-related reporting requirements. The war provides the geopolitical cover to accelerate that agenda: more drilling, more fracking, more production \u2014 all framed as \u201cenergy dominance\u201d and \u201cnational security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry donated\u00a0<strong>$25.8 million<\/strong>\u00a0to Trump campaign groups in 2024 alone. The policy returns on that investment are now arriving in the form of executive orders that favor production, the dismantling of environmental regulations, and a Middle Eastern conflict that has driven up the price of the very commodity they sell.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Board of\u00a0<em>Profits<\/em>: When Bombs Become Business Plans<\/h2>\n<p>This is where the story reaches its most audacious chapter.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>Board of Peace<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 chaired by Donald Trump\u00a0<em><strong>in his personal capacity<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 oversees a\u00a0<strong>$17 billion \u201cGaza Reconstruction and Development Fund\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0and is positioned to manage similar initiatives for most other conflict zones, including a post-regime-change Iran. The Board\u2019s members are not diplomats, aid workers, or regional experts. They are\u00a0<strong>real estate moguls and private equity titans<\/strong>\u00a0from Trump\u2019s inner circle.<\/p>\n<p>TABLE 3<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset can-restack\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53713\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2cc0ebaa-ed3b-49f6-87ea-28f1b89ee173_1540x693.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2cc0ebaa-ed3b-49f6-87ea-28f1b89ee173_1540x693.webp 1456w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2cc0ebaa-ed3b-49f6-87ea-28f1b89ee173_1540x693-300x135.webp 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2cc0ebaa-ed3b-49f6-87ea-28f1b89ee173_1540x693-1024x461.webp 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2cc0ebaa-ed3b-49f6-87ea-28f1b89ee173_1540x693-768x345.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-link-expand\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>At the center of this apparatus is\u00a0<strong>Jared Kushner<\/strong>, whose <strong>Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI)<\/strong>, has now merged into\u00a0<strong>The Heritage Foundation (<\/strong>See a pattern here?<strong>)\u00a0<\/strong>whose private equity firm, Affinity Partners, raised\u00a0<strong>$2 billion from the Saudi Public Investment Fund<\/strong>\u00a0almost immediately after he left the White House in 2021. That investment was subject to a Congressional probe. Critics described it as \u201clegalized bribery\u201d \u2014 a payoff for Kushner\u2019s support of Saudi interests during the first Trump term, including his handling of the Khashoggi murder and his backing of the Yemen war.<\/p>\n<p>SO the financial mechanics are locked in regardless of the outcomes. On the 2 billion Saudi investment, Kushner personally collects **25 million dollars annually in management fees** \u2014 whether the fund ever makes a cent of profit or not. Affinity Partners has since expanded its role, reportedly commandeering a position in the Saudi acquisition of American corporate assets like Electronic Arts (EA Sports), providing \u201cpolitical cover\u201d and \u201cregulatory protection\u201d for Saudi capital flowing into the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Now apply this model to Iran. As American bombs destroy Iranian infrastructure, Kushner and the Board of Peace are already shopping \u201camazing investment opportunities\u201d in a \u201cpost-regime Iran\u201d to sovereign wealth funds in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Board Of Profits indeed. Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management estimates $115 billion in real estate development potential. Billionaire and insiderYakir Gabay is already proposing 200 luxury hotels and artificial islands \u2014 built on the rubble of what American and Israeli strikes have just flattened\u2026 With your tax dollars.<\/p>\n<p>The obscenity of this arrangement is hard to overstate.\u00a0<strong>The same political network that pushed for the war<\/strong>\u00a0is now positioned to profit from the reconstruction. The President chairs the board \u2014\u00a0<em>in his personal capacity<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 that will allocate the contracts. His son-in-law runs the fund. And the \u201ccustomers\u201d are the Gulf monarchies whose money flows through all of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Editors Note:<\/strong>\u00a0World Liberty Financial (WLF), a venture backed by the Trump family,\u00a0<em>earns revenue<\/em>\u00a0by investing the dollars that back Trump\u2019s USD1 Stablecoin into safe assets like\u00a0<strong>U.S. Treasuries<\/strong>. The Board Of Peace is planning to mandate use of USD1 for all their post warfare rebuilding such as Gaza and Iran..<\/p>\n<p><strong>Revenue Share<\/strong>: Trump entities (specifically DT Marks DEFI LLC) are entitled to approximately\u00a0<strong>75% of the\u00a0<\/strong><em><strong>interest\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><strong>generated<\/strong>\u00a0from World Liberty Financial holdings. Recent reports estimate this could generate over\u00a0<strong>$136 million<\/strong>\u00a0in profit for the Trump family based on current circulation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong>\u00a0The Trump family will profit directly from every dollar invested in rebuilding that will go through the Board Of Peace. More destruction = more profit.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Shadow Contractors: Then There\u2019s the Kickbacks &#8211;<\/h2>\n<p>Below the billionaire class, a secondary economy of politically connected contractors is thriving.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gothams LLC<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 the \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d firm mentioned at the top of this article \u2014 has emerged as the leading candidate for the role of \u201cMaster Contractor\u201d across the Middle East. Their draft proposal, obtained in late 2025, laid out a \u201cGaza Supply System Logistics Architecture\u201d that federal experts called one of the most extractive contracting arrangements they had ever seen:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>300% guaranteed return<\/strong>\u00a0on capital expenditure<\/li>\n<li><strong>Seven-year monopoly<\/strong>\u00a0over all trucking and logistics<\/li>\n<li><strong>$2,000 fee<\/strong>\u00a0per humanitarian truckload;\u00a0<strong>$12,000<\/strong>\u00a0per commercial truck<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This model \u2014\u00a0<strong>where a politically appointed \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d serves as the customer, guaranteeing triple returns to preferred contractors<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 is expected to be the template for post-conflict operations in Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Then there\u2019s\u00a0<strong>UG Solutions<\/strong>, a private military company incorporated in 2023 by Special Forces veterans Jameson Govoni and Glenn Devitt \u2014 both vocal Trump supporters. UG Solutions operates checkpoints in conflict zones, providing what experts describe as a \u201clayer of separation and deniability\u201d for the administration. Small PMSCs like this function as corporate shells for off-the-books payments and arms transfers,\u00a0<strong>allowing the executive branch to circumvent Congressional oversight<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>entirely.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These aren\u2019t aberrations. They are the system working as designed. The old military-industrial complex at least operated through large, publicly traded defense contractors subject to some degree of scrutiny. The new model runs through shell companies, sole-source contracts, and a Board of Peace that answers to no one except the President \u2014 who chairs it as a\u00a0<em>private citizen<\/em>\u00a0while simultaneously serving as Commander-in-Chief.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Golden Grift: When the Government Becomes the Hedge Fund<\/h2>\n<p>In perhaps the most radical departure from the free-market ideology this administration claims to champion, the White House has begun taking\u00a0<strong>direct equity stakes in public companies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On January 7, 2026, Trump signed an Executive Order authorizing the \u201cSecretary of War\u201d to identify underperforming defense contractors, ban them from stock buybacks, and potentially impose a \u201cgolden share\u201d \u2014 a forced equity stake giving the government direct control over a company\u2019s production priorities.<\/p>\n<p>TABLE 4<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset can-restack\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-53715\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f7f94ef5-b320-4228-9df2-8a5172da99df_1544x858.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1456\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f7f94ef5-b320-4228-9df2-8a5172da99df_1544x858.webp 1456w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f7f94ef5-b320-4228-9df2-8a5172da99df_1544x858-300x167.webp 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f7f94ef5-b320-4228-9df2-8a5172da99df_1544x858-1024x569.webp 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f7f94ef5-b320-4228-9df2-8a5172da99df_1544x858-768x427.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-link-expand\">\n<div class=\"pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>This creates what can only be described as a\u00a0<strong>state-sponsored investment club.<\/strong>\u00a0Donors from the securities and investment industry gave\u00a0<strong>$193.8 million to Trump groups in 2024.<\/strong>\u00a0They can now invest in companies \u201ctied directly to U.S. industrial policy\u201d \u2014 companies whose valuations are backstopped by the federal government itself. For hedge fund billionaires like Paul Singer, Nelson Peltz, and Diane Hendricks, the Iran war provides the justification for the state to \u201clock in\u201d domestic production, ensuring their investments in fossil fuels, manufacturing, and mining are protected by the full force of American military power.<\/p>\n<p>The government is no longer just the customer for these industries. It is the\u00a0<strong>co-investor, the regulator, and the guarantor of returns<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 all at once. And Donald Trump reaps the kickbacks as \u201ccampaign donations\u201d.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\">The Integrated Conflict Economy<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s step back and look at the full picture.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a war with some corruption around the edges. It is a\u00a0<strong>financial architecture disguised as foreign policy.<\/strong>\u00a0Every layer of the conflict \u2014 from the decision to strike, to the weapons used, to the sanctions imposed, to the energy markets disrupted, to the reconstruction that follows \u2014 has been engineered to produce returns for a specific, identifiable group of people: \u201cThe Mar-A-Lago Gang\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the cabinet level:<\/strong>\u00a0Feinberg steers Pentagon contracts toward his own investment orbit. Wright profits from energy prices driven up by the very conflict his administration created. Lutnick\u2019s firm bets against his own tariffs and wins. Bessent sits on undivested assets while controlling the sanctions that move markets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the advisory level:<\/strong>\u00a0Kushner and the Board of Peace are already selling post-war Iran to Gulf monarchies \u2014 pocketing $25 million a year in management fees before a single building rises from the rubble.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the contractor level:<\/strong>\u00a0Shell companies with political connections extract 300% guaranteed returns on humanitarian logistics, while private military firms operate checkpoints with no Congressional oversight.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the donor level:<\/strong>\u00a0A \u201cvetted\u201d class of billionaire investors puts money into companies that the government has effectively guaranteed \u2014 companies whose stock prices are backstopped by executive orders and war.<\/p>\n<p>This is what a \u201cMercenary State\u201d looks like. War is not a policy failure or a last resort. It is a\u00a0<strong>business model<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 the highest-margin venture in the portfolio of the people who run the country.<\/p>\n<p>The bombs fall on Tehran. The profits land in Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n<p>And the people paying the price \u2014 American soldiers, Iranian civilians, taxpayers funding $900 billion defense budgets \u2014 pay for it all.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><em><strong>In our next article, we will examine how this war was intellectually engineered over the last decade \u2014 tracing the role of the Heritage Foundation, the Atlas Network, and the International Democracy Union in building their ideological and administrative framework that made the 2026 Iran conflict not just possible, but inevitable<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"header-anchor-post\">Sources<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtoninstitute.org\/policy-analysis\/closing-regulatory-gap-trumps-middle-east-strategy\" rel=\"\">Closing the Regulatory Gap in Trump\u2019s Middle East Strategy<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 The Washington Institute<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/trump-administrations-middle-east-policy-shaping-emerging-regional-order\" rel=\"\">The Trump Administration\u2019s Middle East Policy: Shaping an Emerging Regional Order<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 CSIS<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cepr.net\/publications\/private-equity-meets-the-pentagon\/\" rel=\"\">Trump Taps Private Equity to Shape the Pentagon\u2019s Future<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 CEPR<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/readsludge.com\/2024\/10\/09\/here-are-trumps-investment-industry-donors\/\" rel=\"\">Here Are Trump\u2019s Investment Industry Donors<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Sludge<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kesq.com\/news\/national-politics\/cnn-us-politics\/2026\/02\/28\/trump-deliberated-on-iran-for-weeks-his-massive-and-ongoing-operation-comes-with-acknowledgment-us-lives-could-be-lost\/\" rel=\"\">Trump deliberated on Iran for weeks<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 KESQ\/CNN<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/responsiblestatecraft.org\/kushner-board-of-peace-profits\/\" rel=\"\">Board of Peace will be a bonanza for wealthy board members<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Responsible Statecraft<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/02\/contractor-gaza-profits-white-house-gothams\" rel=\"\">US contractor sent Gaza plan to White House that would secure 300% profits<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 The Guardian<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/defensescoop.com\/2025\/03\/14\/stephen-feinberg-deputy-secretary-defense-senate-confirmed-trump\/\" rel=\"\">Stephen Feinberg wins Senate confirmation<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 DefenseScoop<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2026\/01\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-prioritizes-the-warfighter-in-defense-contracting\/\" rel=\"\">Fact Sheet: President Trump Prioritizes the Warfighter in Defense Contracting<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 The White House<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cerberus.com\/media\/cerberus-co-founder-steve-feinberg-confirmed-as-u-s-deputy-secretary-of-defense\/\" rel=\"\">Cerberus Co-Founder Confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Defense<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Cerberus Capital Management<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/2026-national-defense-strategy-numbers-radical-changes-moderate-changes-and-some\" rel=\"\">The 2026 National Defense Strategy by the Numbers<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 CSIS<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/11\/03\/2025\/its-pe-vs-vc-in-the-scramble-to-remake-americas-way-of-war\" rel=\"\">It\u2019s PE vs. VC in the scramble to remake America\u2019s way of war<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Semafor<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/responsiblestatecraft.org\/feinberg-pentagon\/\" rel=\"\">Senators ignore that this billionaire is a walking conflict of interest<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Responsible Statecraft<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.war.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/4077507\/deputy-defense-secretary-nominee-talks-dod-audit-strengthening-industrial-base\/\" rel=\"\">Deputy Defense Secretary Nominee Talks DOD Audit<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Department of War<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cerberus.com\/news\/\" rel=\"\">Media Center \u2014 Cerberus Capital Management<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Cerberus<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extapps2.oge.gov\/201\/Presiden.nsf\/PAS+Index\/CC1FD4574509E47B85258C55002C1975\/FILE\/Feinberg%20EA%20Certification%201%20of%201.pdf\" rel=\"\">Stephen Feinberg Ethics Agreement<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Office of Government Ethics<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pogo.org\/investigates\/epstein-files-show-financial-ties-to-dod-deputy-secretary-feinberg\" rel=\"\">Epstein Files Show Financial Ties to DOD Deputy Secretary Feinberg<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 POGO<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cepr.net\/publications\/jared-kushners-great-ea-swindle\/\" rel=\"\">Jared Kushner\u2019s Great EA Swindle<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 CEPR<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2025\/03\/deputy-defense-secretary-nominee-has-clear-conflict-of-interest-with-ligado-lawsuit-sen-warren\/\" rel=\"\">Deputy defense secretary nominee has \u2018clear conflict of interest\u2019 with Ligado lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Breaking Defense<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hklaw.com\/en\/general-pages\/trumps-2025-executive-orders-chart\" rel=\"\">Trump\u2019s 2025 Executive Orders<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Holland &amp; Knight<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Memo-Chris-Wright-3.7.2025.pdf\" rel=\"\">Chris Wright Ethics Memo \u2014 The White House<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 White House<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/energy-secretary-chris-wright-climate-change-double-speak-oil-gas-trump\" rel=\"\">The Doublespeak of Energy Secretary Chris Wright<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 ProPublica<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/BA\/BA00\/20240410\/117092\/HHRG-118-BA00-Wstate-WrightC-20240410.pdf\" rel=\"\">Chris Wright\u2019s Testimony on the SEC Climate Rule<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 U.S. House of Representatives<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crisisgroup.org\/trigger-list\/iran-usisrael-trigger-list\/flashpoints\/washington\" rel=\"\">Washington \u2014 Iran Trigger List<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 International Crisis Group<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sb0405\" rel=\"\">Treasury Targets Iran\u2019s Shadow Fleet<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 U.S. Treasury<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scangl.com\/news\/2026-kicks-off-with-a-carrier-and-tariff-big-bang\/\" rel=\"\">2026 kicks off with a carrier and tariff big bang<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Scan Global Logistics<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legacygrain.com\/news\/story\/37229710\/the-white-house-is-now-a-hedge-fund-5-government-backed-stocks-wall-street-is-watching\" rel=\"\">The White House is Now a Hedge Fund<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Legacy Grain Cooperative<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/01\/wright-financial-documents-detail-fossil-fuel-and-mining-holdings-00198927\" rel=\"\">Wright financial documents detail fossil fuel and mining holdings<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Politico Pro<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/daily-news\/2025\/02\/25\/billionaire-nominee-deputy-defense-secretary-grilled-plans-slash-staff-budget.html\" rel=\"\">Billionaire Nominee for Deputy Defense Secretary Grilled<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Military.com<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/02\/24\/details-emerge-on-wrights-stock-holdings-doe-firings-00205532\" rel=\"\">Details emerge on Wright\u2019s stock holdings, DOE firings<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Politico Pro<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/money-politics-roundup-february-2026\" rel=\"\">Money in Politics Roundup \u2014 February 2026<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Brennan Center for Justice<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/01\/adjusting-imports-of-processed-critical-minerals-and-their-derivative-products-into-the-united-states\/\" rel=\"\">Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 The White House<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Second_cabinet_of_Donald_Trump\" rel=\"\">Second Cabinet of Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Wikipedia<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/democrats-judiciary.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/democrats-judiciary.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/2026-02-27-raskin-to-lutnick-commerce-lutnick-cantorfitzgerald-re-tariffs.pdf\" rel=\"\">Rep. Raskin letter to Howard &amp; Brandon Lutnick re: Tariff Arbitrage<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 House Judiciary Committee Democrats<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pillsburylaw.com\/en\/news-and-insights\/congressional-investigations-2026.html\" rel=\"\">Congressional Investigations to Take Center Stage in 2026<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Pillsbury Law<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Political_appointments_of_the_second_Trump_administration\" rel=\"\">Political appointments of the second Trump administration<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Wikipedia<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/1024896\/000121390025096566\/xslSCHEDULE_13D_X01\/primary_doc.xml\" rel=\"\">Cantor Fitzgerald Schedule 13D\/A Filing<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 SEC<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Bessent\" rel=\"\">Scott Bessent<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Wikipedia<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/campaignlegal.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2025-08\/DDF%20CLC.%20Complaint.%20Bessent.%20OGE%20Treasury%20OIG%20%288.13.25%29.pdf\" rel=\"\">Ethics Complaint: Bessent Divestiture Failures<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Campaign Legal Center<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@GlobalTimesSingapore\/the-2-billion-bet-how-jared-kushner-secured-the-largest-sovereign-wealth-investment-by-a-foreign-1d64c5f31489\" rel=\"\">The $2 Billion Bet: How Jared Kushner Secured the Largest Sovereign Wealth Investment<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Global Times Singapore<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/publish.obsidian.md\/findingtruth\/Modern+Companies\/Affinity+Partners\" rel=\"\">Affinity Partners \u2014 Under the Microscope<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 FindingTruth<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracynow.org\/2026\/2\/3\/headlines\/us_firm_seeks_300_profits_from_monopoly_over_gaza_trucking_and_logistics\" rel=\"\">U.S. Firm Seeks 300% Profits from Monopoly Over Gaza Trucking<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Democracy Now<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oversightdemocrats.house.gov\/news\/press-releases\/chairwoman-maloney-launches-probe-of-saudi-government-s-2-billion-investment-in\" rel=\"\">Chairwoman Maloney Launches Probe of Saudi $2B Investment in Kushner\u2019s Firm<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 House Oversight Committee<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bhr.stern.nyu.edu\/quick-take\/saudi-arabia-and-kushner-join-forces-in-historic-buyout-of-electronic-arts-why-we-should-worry\/\" rel=\"\">Saudi Arabia and Kushner Join Forces in Historic Buyout of Electronic Arts<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/dec\/14\/gaza-rebuild-us-contractors\" rel=\"\">\u2018They\u2019re trying to get rich off it\u2019: US contractors vie to rebuild Gaza<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 The Guardian<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/companies-profiting-from-gaza-genocide\" rel=\"\">US Contractor\u2019s Proposal Exposes Trump Gaza Plan as \u2018Vehicle for Mass Exploitation\u2019<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Common Dreams<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/inkstickmedia.com\/in-gaza-trump-embraces-private-military-contractors\/\" rel=\"\">In Gaza, Trump Embraces Private Military Contractors<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Inkstick<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundssociety.com\/en\/news\/markets\/trumps-turn-toward-power-politics-and-the-european-defense-sectors-role\/\" rel=\"\">Trump\u2019s Turn Toward Power Politics and the European Defense Sector<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Funds Society<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/private-equity-firms-tighten-stranglehold-on-us-angling-for-boons-under-trump\/\" rel=\"\">Private Equity Firms Tighten Stranglehold on US, Angling for Boons Under Trump<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Truthout<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p>____<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/thedemocracydefender.substack.com\/p\/iran-war-we-follow-the-money-to-mar\">https:\/\/thedemocracydefender.substack.com\/p\/iran-war-we-follow-the-money-to-mar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sotn-special"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53734\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}