Eric Trump-Backed Robot Firm Denies Negotiating to Supply IDF

Foundation Future Industries, a robotics company backed by Eric Trump, says it is not negotiating to supply humanoid robots to the Israel Defense Forces and has no contract or agreement with the IDF or Israel's Defense Ministry.

The company's statement, included in a Telegraph report published November 11, follows reporting that Foundation had discussed supplying up to 1,000 Phantom MK1 robots for possible operations in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza. That reported figure is not a confirmed purchase, delivery or deployment.

Foundation co-founder and president Mike LeBlanc had told the Financial Times that the company was in direct talks with senior Israeli military officials. A separate statement carried in the Telegraph's report gave a different account, describing any conversations mentioned in the reporting as early and exploratory.

"They did not lead to an agreement," a Foundation spokesman said in the statement. "We've had no conversations with the IDF in any official capacity and Foundation is not negotiating to supply the IDF."

The company also said no Foundation robots had been sold, delivered or deployed to the IDF. No confirmed Israeli purchase or deployment is established by the reporting reviewed for this article.

Eric Trump is an adviser to Foundation and holds an equity stake, according to the report. His spokesman said he had no role in the company's management or government contract negotiations, and that contracting decisions are made independently by Foundation's management.