From phones to fine china, MAGA merchandise hits the mainstream

As brands align themselves with the US President, his sons signal a new business venture.

The Trump Organisation is to launch its own mobile network, Trump Mobile. Picture: Getty Images

If you asked US President Donald Trump to tell you what he thinks about fine china, he’d probably ­accuse you of siding with Beijing in a trade war.

Even though Trump prefers his meals served with minimum fuss, ideally straight from McDonald’s, some homeware companies hope to capitalise on having a marketer-in-chief as the commander-in-chief. Until now, the Trump branding machine had failed to stamp its image on the average American home, limiting its offerings to Make America Great Again (MAGA) caps and clothing.

That may all change. Fittingly for a man who made his career in real estate, one of the first products could be a Trump pressure cooker. The next may be an air fryer.

Instant Pot Brands, which makes a range of kitchen gadgets, is releasing a “45/47 Collaboration” – a reference to Trump, who was the 45th president in his first term and is now serving as the 47th.

Another company, Lenox Corporation, plans to introduce “fine porcelain dinnerware” featuring Trump’s face and the White House logo, as well as MAGA-branded glasses and ornaments including a snow globe.

A “Mar-a-Lago” collection of Trump-branded linen is said to “blend Mediterranean opulence with American grandeur”, while the “White House” collection would channel “neoclassical elegance and stately charm”.

The linen collections would be provided free of charge to the White House as well as Trump ­hotels and properties, according to plans released by the business consultancy Nest Point Associations.

Alex Olson, deputy director of government affairs at Nest Point, which represents the companies planning the merchandise collections, said the companies were “extremely supportive of ­President Trump and the MAGA agenda”.

The President has already made millions from licensing his name, image and likeness, including for running shoes and watches. He made more than $US1.3m from Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” Bible, according to financial documents released on Friday.

On Monday (Tuesday AEST) the Trump Organisation launched its own mobile network. Trump Mobile was ­announced by his sons, Donald Jr and Eric, on the 10-year anniversary of their father’s first presidential campaign.

The company also said it would release a US-made smartphone for $US499 ($765), called the “T1 phone”, in August. It promised it would be, like most other things in the Trump universe, “sleek” and “gold”.

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