The big business of MAGA merch

President-elect Donald Trump is if nothing not a salesman, managing to sell his brand of politics not only to voters on the ballot but also to his most ardent supporters through a web of merchandise, trinkets and knick-knacks.

There is no emblem more Trump than a bright red baseball hat emblazoned with the words, “Make America Great Again,” one of dozens of item for sale in the Trump store. Also on the shelves are needlepoint Trump flasks ($68), Trump charcuterie boards ($95), “freedom ties” ($125) and Trump sneakers ($225).

“It seems like Trump’s official merchandise store has a penchant for capitalizing on his every move,” Summer Anne Lee, a fashion historian and adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, told Newsweek. “They are already selling items to commemorate his upcoming second inauguration, in everything from hats, shirts, and buttons to beer koozies and playing cards.”

Why It Matters

It’s not just the Trump name. Never before has an incoming administration been staffed with so many people hawking their own personal brands and lines of products.

Not only can you smell like Trump (“Fight Fight Fight” has “rich, robust notes that leave a lasting impression”), but you can also drink coffee shilled by former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, read your children books about “King Donald” sold by Trump’s FBI chief pick Kash Patel, and take herbal supplements promoted by Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice for Medicare and Medicaid administrator.

Lee said all political figures and presidential candidates have merch but “Trumpism goes beyond the norm.”

“It’s impossible to ignore that Trump has developed a cult of personality where his most passionate fanbase idealizes him as an American hero or even a religious figure chosen by God,” she said. “For these supporters, voting for Trump is a central part of their identity, and they want to make that known.”

What to Know

Since the days of Founding Fathers, wearable buttons have existed to commemorate presidential campaigns or inaugurations. Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th century, presidential pins, walking sticks and handkerchiefs were also popular items.

Lee said that the first notable “explosion” of presidential merch came in 1952 when Dwight D. Eisenhower sold a variety of items associated with his presidential campaign, which featured the popular slogan “You like Ike, I like Ike, everybody likes Ike for President.” He did the same when he ran for re-election in 1956.

“People purchased all of the things mentioned before and more, including neckties, bowties, and even women’s dresses and jewelry, all emblazoned with some iteration of the slogan ‘I Like Ike,'” Lee said. “The enthusiasm wasn’t just for show: in both races, Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson in a landslide.”

Steven Schier, a political scientist and analyst, told Newsweek, “We can expect a steady stream of Trump and MAGA-themed merchandise in 2025,” including items developed by Trump’s co-chairs of the new Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and by independent companies who want to cash in on these markets.

Lee said that even the red MAGA hat, a bit long in the tooth now nearly a decade after its debut, could see a resurgence. The historian predicted that Trump’s popular vote victory could lead his supporters to feel more confident about declaring their allegiance to the Trump brand in public.

Even as these wares raise questions about profiteering off the government, Schier said that “such bling is unlikely to draw legal challenges if the creators handle things right.”

What People Are Saying

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, on X, last month: “Department of Government Efficiency The merch will be 🔥🔥🔥”

Summer Anne Lee, the author of the forthcoming “Presidential Fashion: An Illustrated History,” told Newsweek: “We all signal who we think we are or want to be through our clothing every day. For some, wearing designer brands is an important way to show their status and style. For others, wearing some type of merchandise from their favorite band, video game, TV show, influencer, etc., is an important way to show others what their interests are.”

Vanessa Friedman, the fashion director of the New York Times‘ Style section, wrote in an article predicting the trends of 2025: “What could be next? Scent of the Oval? A build-your-own-wall kit? Crime-buster shades? Maybe just a treasury friendship bracelet, with gold beads. Whatever the answer, you can bet it’s going to be more than a button.”

Jordan Libowitz, a vice president at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told ABC News last month: “We’ve never seen a president merchandise like this. Tracking partners is very difficult unless they come forward, and there’s no way to know for sure.”

Joe Conason, author of “The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,” told the Guardian: “The one thing that could settle it down, I guess, is if Trump actually does drive the country into a depression with his tariffs and his arresting 11 million people who do a lot of the work in this country. He could make people poor enough that they wouldn’t be able to buy the stuff any more. But otherwise, I think it’s going to go on and on and continue to grow.”

What’s Next

Whether the market for MAGA merch remains robust “all depends on Trump’s success at governing,” according to Schier.

Ahead of Trump’s return to the White House later this month, the Trump 47 Inaugural Collection is already available online. It includes commemorative MAGA hats ($40), whiskey glasses ($60), cufflinks ($25) and fleece blankets ($60).