Trump sons' firm awarded Ebola contracts
The gist
ProPublica reports the administration gave XpresTest nearly $40 million for Ebola screening and Congo outbreak response.
The contracts are seven times the company's prior direct federal total, raising conflict-of-interest questions.
How it unfolded
- Nov 9, 2026ProPublica reports the Trump administration awarded XpresTest nearly $40 million to screen for Ebola and other infectious diseases, months after a firm linked to the president's elder sons invested in its parent company.
- Nov 9, 2026The two contracts — one for Ebola screening at several U.S. airports, one for outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo — total seven times the company's prior direct government contracts.
- Nov 9, 2026XpresTest's CEO says working with Ebola and providing biosecurity services abroad is "a new thing for us," despite the company's airport screening experience.
Key terms
- Ebola
- A zoonotic viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and primates caused by ebolaviruses, with outbreaks averaging about 50% mortality.
- conflict-of-interest
- A situation where a person's multiple interests or roles could lead them to act against a duty owed to another.
- biosecurity
- Measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms, including disease threats to people.
Source: Wikipedia