Donald Trump Jr has suggested his father, President Donald Trump, could disengage from efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, declaring the conflict is not a top priority for the American public.
"America First" and a Shifting Focus from Ukraine
Speaking to Sky News's lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim at the Doha Forum 2025 on Sunday 7 December, Trump Jr framed his comments within a broader "America first" agenda. He argued that domestic issues, specifically the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, presented a "far greater clear and present danger to the US than anything [going on] in the Ukraine or Russia".
While he stated he did not believe Ukraine would be outright abandoned, he was clear about the perceived lack of American appetite for prolonged involvement. "The American public doesn't have the appetite [for endless wars and further funding of Ukraine's military efforts]," he claimed. He urged European nations to shoulder more of the burden, criticising the current lack of a coherent plan from the continent.
On Zelenskyy, Predictability, and the "Bromance" with Musk
In a wide-ranging discussion, Trump Jr characterised Ukraine as "a far more corrupt country than Russia" and described its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as "one of the great marketeers of all time" who had been elevated to a "borderline deity, especially to the left".
He emphasised his father's unpredictable nature as a political asset. "What's good about my father and what's unique about my father is you don't know what he's going to do. He's unpredictable," he said, directly addressing the question of whether President Trump would walk away from Ukraine peace efforts.
Away from geopolitics, Trump Jr announced a diplomatic breakthrough of a different kind. He confirmed that the previously strained relationship between President Trump and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk was fully repaired, stating Musk was "100% back in the fold" and praising him as a "generational talent, a generational level of genius".
He drew a direct comparison between the two figures, joking, "Imagine dealing with one Donald Trump - now I have to deal with two." He credited Musk with democratising truth and free speech through his ownership of the platform formerly known as Twitter.
China Rivalry and Global Leadership
The conversation also turned to the strategic competition with China, which Trump Jr identified as a primary focus. He argued for a more assertive American stance, particularly regarding control over critical minerals. "America can no longer just sit there and hope that China is going to be a good actor... I think the rest of the world understands that they want America to be at the forefront of all of that," he stated.
His appearance at the forum was made in his capacity as a business leader promoting his investment firm, 1789 Capital, which he said focuses on "America First" investments in sectors like defence technology and artificial intelligence. He pitched a vision where US global strength and the cessation of conflicts abroad directly serve American economic prosperity.
