Rubbish Check
Forbes Business · 14 August 2026
source“White House Slaps Tariffs On Imported Drones-Shares Of Trump Jr.-Linked Drone Maker Soar”
R4/ 10
Selective
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Forbes' claim that tariffs sent the "Trump Jr.-linked drone maker" soaring a 4/10 because the rally was sector-wide, with AeroVironment, Kratos and Red Cat all rising too, and Forbes' own article body admits it while the headline spotlights only the politically loaded stock.
The Verdict
Selective. The headline's individual facts check out, but stacking "Trump Jr.-linked" onto the one stock singled out for its rise implies a uniquely favoured beneficiary, when the tariff lifted the entire domestic drone sector, a detail the article itself concedes three paragraphs down.
What actually happened
Trump signed a proclamation imposing 100% tariffs on larger, "sensitive" drones and 25% on smaller ones, with discounted rates for allied nations. Drone stocks rallied on Friday after President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on foreign-made components, with Unusual Machines popping 10% while Red Cat rallied about 5%, and Aerovironment and Kratos also climbing. Unusual Machines, whose advisory board Donald Trump Jr. joined in November 2024, saw the largest single-day percentage gain among the group.
Key facts
- Tariff structure: large drones with "sensitive" military capabilities like thermal imaging face a 100% tariff, smaller drones lacking those capabilities face a 25% levy.
- Allied carve-out: 15% tariff on drones and parts from the EU, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan, and 10% on those from the UK.
- Unusual Machines' premarket move was the largest of the group, +14.6% to roughly $31, as reported by multiple outlets including Blockonomi and Benzinga.
- Trump Jr.'s stake dates to November 2024; he held 331,580 shares in the company as of Nov. 27, 2024.
- Other domestic drone makers, AeroVironment, Kratos Defense & Security and Red Cat, also rose on the same news, per CNBC, undercutting the idea that this was a Trump Jr.-specific windfall.
- Separately, GuruFocus notes UMAC insiders sold roughly $7.5 million in shares over the prior three months with no insider purchases, which sits awkwardly next to any "insider profits from the tariff" implication.
What to watch for
Watch whether Unusual Machines' revenue actually benefits once the 100%/25% tariffs take effect in 21 days (180 days for less-sensitive components), since a stock pop on announcement day is not the same as a manufacturing win. Also watch the insider-selling pattern: if executives keep selling into tariff-driven rallies, that's the real story, not Trump Jr.'s board seat.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
