By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump is adding fragrances to the growing list of merchandise that bear his name, raising fresh questions about his use of the presidential bully pulpit to hawk products that enrich him and his family.
The former New York real estate tycoon, who moved back into the White House in January for his second term, announced this week that a new Trump-branded cologne for men and perfume for women were available for purchase.
“Trump Fragrances are here. They’re called ‘Victory 45-47’ because they’re all about Winning, Strength and Success,” he wrote on his Truth Social account on Monday.
Trump, a Republican, served as the 45th U.S. president from 2017-2021 and became the country’s 47th president with his 2024 win.
The fragrances come in a black box with gold lettering for men and a red box with gold lettering for women. The fragrance containers look like mini statues of Trump.
Reaction was swift online, with critics accusing the president of corruption.
“There’s never been, and I don’t think in American history, someone who’s stealing so much in plain sight – grifting and graft,” U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said in a video shared on X.
Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, noted Trump was advertising the fragrances while Republicans sought to reduce Medicare benefits for low-income Americans in his budget bill.
“Senate Democrats are fighting to prevent President Trump from kicking 17 million people off their health care and he’s promoting his line of fragrances,” Welch said on X.
The White House declined to comment about the criticism.
The scents are the most recent products that the Trump family has unveiled. In June his family business licensed its name to launch a U.S. Mobile service and a $499 smartphone. The phone was promoted as sleek and gold, Trump’s preferred color.
The president has said he put his business interests in a trust managed by his children to avoid conflicts of interest, but income from such business ventures will eventually enrich the president, who sits atop the series of Trump family firms.
Trump receives income from licensing deals, crypto projects, golf clubs and other ventures. He has also hawked gold sneakers and a “God bless the USA Bible.”
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Stephen Coates)
Comments