As the tariff war that Trump created lurches on, sales of his online merchandise appear to be holding steady. There’s the classic red MAGA cap. A few Mar-A-Lago caps, including one with a beach umbrella. A Trump 2028 cap. A white cap with TRUMP written in big red type. A red, black, and white cap with TRUMP written upside down for some reason. A Trump straw hat. A few MAGA beanies for colder weather. The original Make America Great Again cap, now in neon pink and green. Six different versions of the Gulf of America cap, and a cap that simply features a bald eagle adorned with American-flag sunglasses and a swooshing head of yellow hair. No matter the weather or the occasion, he’s got your head covered.
All these and more are available online at the Trump Store, not to mention a $200 MAGA “Victory Blanket” (currently sold out) and inaugural-seal mugs, $30 each.
Trump caps are apparently better sellers than his “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible,” despite its low, low price of $59.99. (After a quick Google search, I learned that you can purchase a standard Christian Bible for $10 to $20 on Amazon, or pick one up at a church for free.)
But Trump’s biggest score so far, to the tune of hundreds of millions, is the $TRUMP meme coin, a hot item in the crypto-currency world. In the old days, just getting your face stamped on paper money was a big deal.
In 2023, the Trump Store reportedly generated more than $3 million in sales. Though, full disclosure, I haven’t seen recent numbers. No one has. Revenue numbers for 2024-25 have not been publicly released. Still, with such a thriving Web store, I’m surprised the president hasn’t resurrected those 2007 Trump Steaks.
Trump is the first U.S. president to use his office to profit from merchandising. Biden never came up with these kinds of ideas. There was no Internet when Eisenhower and Kennedy were in office, but history records that neither man opened a self-branded gift shop. Lincoln certainly would never have been this enterprising, even if he hadn’t been assassinated.
But let’s give credit where it’s due. Past presidents worried about legacy. Trump worries about logo placement. While F.D.R. gave us the New Deal, Trump offered us “two for the price of one.” Eisenhower warned about the military-industrial complex. Trump launched Truth Social, which, viewed from a certain perspective, is not a horrible idea. When he makes a statement on it, the press has to go to his site to get the information.
Thomas Jefferson built Monticello and hosted dinner parties, but that’s it. Trump went to his Scotland golf course, played a few holes, and met with Britain’s prime minister—business, pleasure, and statesmanship combined.
From what I understand, Trump refused to release his tax returns on time and took an extra three years after the House Ways and Means Committee made their initial request for them during his first term. But with so many opportunities for self-enrichment, where is he supposed to find the time to report all of those financial statements?
He has been quiet about Trump University and whether or not it will start up again. I assume the Justice Department could be enlisted to clear up those pesky fraud accusations. He likewise appears to have lost interest in reviving Trump Airlines since it went into bankruptcy. So it seems that’s off the table, along with the Plaza hotel in New York City, which he once owned. In his defense, he has Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran to deal with, and the galling ingratitude of Vladimir Putin.
But he did manage to showcase a few Teslas at the White House, which was a fun event. Or so it looked. However, a number of people thought it made the White House look like a car dealership.
But now he’s planning on a U.F.C. event. There’s nothing like watching men punching and wrestling on the White House grounds. The question I would like to ask is: Will there be snacks and beer served?
Barry Levinson is an Oscar-winning director whose films include Diner; Rain Man; Good Morning, Vietnam; Wag the Dog; and The Alto Knights
