Trump Is Using the Presidency as a Side Hustle
Since returning to office, the Trump family has reportedly made nearly $80 million since the election through a documentary deal with Amazon and multi-million-dollar legal settlements with media and tech companies. That’s not even counting profits from the Trump Store or other undisclosed business dealings.
From gutting DEI initiatives and federal programs to hawking a $5 million golden Trump card, selling endless merch, and turning White House events into corporate branding ops—his presidency is as much about making money as it is about wielding power.
A resurfaced 1980 interview from Rona Barrett Looks at Today’s $uperRich went viral last year. Asked what he’d do if he lost everything, a young Trump replied, “Maybe I’d run for president. I don’t know.” He claimed he was joking, but the moment reveals a deeper truth: even then, Trump saw the presidency not as public service, but as a business opportunity. The industry just happens to be politics.
Sponsorship Events? Lunch with FLOTUS Included??
The White House Easter Egg Roll used to be a wholesome, nonpartisan tradition dating back to 1878. But under Trump, it’s become something else entirely: a branded, corporate-backed spectacle.
This year’s event, once solely sponsored by the American Egg Board to keep commercial influence off White House grounds, is now a full-blown marketing affair. Amazon, YouTube, Meta, and others are sponsoring stations, while high-dollar donors can choose from tiered corporate packages—$75,000, $125,000, or $200,000—to get perks like a “custom 30’x30′ branded activation,” media coverage on the South Lawn, and four tickets to brunch with First Lady Melania Trump. Some even include meet-and-greets or White House tours.
Proceeds will go toward the nonprofit White House Historical Association and future White House holiday events like Halloween and the Fourth of July. But ethics experts from both sides of the aisle have sounded the alarm. Soliciting private sponsorships tied to exclusive White House access blurs longstanding lines and violates the spirit—if not the letter—of federal regulations prohibiting the use of public office for private gain.
Trump Merch for Sale
No president has monetized the office quite like Donald Trump. Between Election Day and Inauguration, the Trump Store rolled out 168 new products totaling nearly $14,000—an unprecedented merch drop during a presidential transition. Unlike campaign gear, these items are sold through the Trump Organization, a for-profit business that funnels money directly to the Trump family.
The store’s current lineup is even bolder: MAGA hats front and center, along with the “TRUMP45,” “45-47,” and “Inauguration” collections featuring everything from $200 victory blankets to $550 crystal-studded clutches.
Public Office, Private Gains
What’s perhaps most unsettling isn’t just the commercialization of the presidency—it’s the normalization of it. Trump has tested how far a leader can go in treating public office like a personal fiefdom, and much of it has gone unchecked– except for SCOTUS.
Trump may not be the first president to mix politics and profit—but he’s the first to turn it into a lifestyle brand. And when the presidency is up for sale, democracy isn’t far behind.
