President Donald Trump has announced a new addition to his personal line of merchandise: branded perfume and cologne that will set you back $249 (€211).
The fragrances, called "Victory 45-47" - a reference to his two presidential terms - are "all about Winning, Strength, and Success," Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.
"Get yourself a bottle, and don't forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!"
Featuring an "iconic" and "limited edition" golden statue and available for both men and women (the women’s version is billed as expressing “confidence, beauty, and unstoppable determination”), the Victory 45-47 fragrances are not Trump’s first cologne. He previously promoted a "Fight! Fight! Fight!" fragrance collection last December – just in time for the holidays.
Speaking of timing, the launch of this latest scent comes just after Senate Republicans hauled Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage by the narrowest of margins.
The One Big Beautiful Bill directly cuts $128 billion in state funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and nearly $880 billion to Medicaid, which could deprive more than 10 million Americans of health insurance.
Several celebrities have spoken out against these cuts, recently signing an open letter which states that the cuts are “unacceptable and wrong” and that “it is not how people in this country treat each other when facing hard times.”
One person commented online about the fragrance launch: “16 million Americans are about to lose their healthcare, but go buy my gross perfume…”
Timing aside, this new business venture can’t come as too much of a surprise, as Trump has never shied away from a marketing opportunity, no matter how crass or credibility-staining.
Whether it’s bibles (read more about those here), silver coins ("The ONLY OFFICIAL coin designed by me"), luxury watches (from TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC), cryptocurrency exchange ("We're embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind") and Gibson guitars which lead to cease and desist letters, the sheer amount of merch has been labelled by many as tacky parody.
The end stretch of the election cycle last year even saw the Trump team up the ante with an onslaught of Trump-hawked items. There was no precedent for this level of election monetization, with The New York Times saying at the time that Trump's branded sales were part of an "extraordinary effort to mix his personal finances with his bid to return to political power."
According to Forbes, Trump could have made up to $315m from ‘$TRUMP’ cryptocurrency since its launch in January, and according to Trump's most recent financial disclosure report, he made $57,355,532 from his stake in the cryptocurrency platform World Liberty Financial, $2.8m from 'Trump Watches', and $3m from his Save America coffee table book.
Unsurprisingly, Trump's latest perfume launched was ripped to shreds online.
“It’s too embarrassing for words,” someone commented, while campaign group Republicans Against Trump posted on X: "From crypto scams to shady real estate deals, Trump phones, and cologne. He’s never stopped using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. Go ahead, MAGA. Try defending this blatant corruption."
“What a proud day to be a Republican!” another sarcastically wrote, while another argued: “I’m sorry—but it is very difficult to maintain a high opinion of anyone who thinks this is fitting conduct for the President of the United States. He embarrasses the country and makes his supporters look like fools every single day.”
As for communications consultant Rodericka Applewhaite, she said: "A reminder that then-candidate Jimmy Carter divested from his peanut farm because he was concerned about it being a conflict of interest.”
Different times...
