Trump Jr. vows ‘patriotic capitalism’ for stronger America

Donald Trump Jr. speaks during a session at the Doha Forum 2025 in Doha, Qatar, Sunday. Courtesy of organizer

DOHA — Donald Trump Jr., son of United States President Donald Trump, said Sunday that America must abandon its decades-long practice of being the "big, dumb guy with a checkbook" for the world, arguing that allies must increase their contributions to global security and reconstruction efforts.

He made the remarks during a session at the Doha Forum 2025, where Trump Jr. and Omeed Malik, co-founder and president of the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, asserted their commitment to an economic philosophy of "patriotic capitalism."

Trump Jr. said that the U.S. public doesn't want to keep carrying the largest financial load for international wars.

“The American public isn't going to do what they used to do for years, or we're just going to be the big, dumb guy with a checkbook, and we're going to cover all of the world's problems, and no one else has to do their part,” said Trump Jr., who’s also serving as a partner of 1789 Capital, arguing that the U.S. will no longer accept the disproportionate burden of reconstruction efforts.

He emphasized the need for greater cost-sharing globally.

"I think he [President Trump] can be the manager that brings that together, but everyone's going to actually have to step up and do their part,” he said.

Trump Jr. also insisted that allies, particularly European nations concerning the conflict in Ukraine, must increase their defense spending and contributions to collective security efforts. He stressed that this shift is a matter of common sense, noting that the U.S. is currently facing domestic crises, such as the fentanyl epidemic, which pose a far greater danger than many foreign conflicts.

Malik also detailed his firm’s strategy, explaining that 1789 Capital was established to protect what they see as foundational liberties of the U.S.

"The Bill of Rights is a uniquely American document. It affords certain protections," Malik said.

He noted that the firm's founding was motivated by what they considered to be inappropriate coordination between major tech companies and the U.S. federal government, which they believe worked together to compromise on constitutional safeguards. He stressed that this defense of individual rights is linked directly to national security.

They also focused on economic policy, with Malik asserting that 1789 Capital's main goal is the reindustrialization of the United States, which means bringing manufacturing back home and dominating new economic sectors like artificial intelligence (AI). Malik said that relying on supply chains in other countries, notably China, hurts national security, a reality clearly demonstrated during the pandemic.

Trump Jr. added that a weak U.S. makes the world unstable. He emphasized that the country must work to secure vital resources globally instead of depending on other nations to distribute them reliably.