President-elect Trump’s endorsement video for the “God Bless the USA Inauguration Day Bible” looks like a “Saturday Night Live” parody. Still, some Trump supporters are buying them, while others yell “blasphemy!” But in general, Americans are repulsed by the mixing of religion and politics to sell copies of the scriptures.
The Bible costs $69.99 and is “available until January 19.” The edition that “contains President Donald J. Trump’s Hand-Signed Signature” is $1,000, with “Only 1000 Available! While Supplies Last!”
I asked a MAGA insider if he thought Trump would take the oath of office with his right hand on an Inauguration Day Bible. “I hope so,” he replied.
Whether the brand-conscious new president will turn his swearing-in into a marketing event is unknown. However, Trump successfully turned his first assassination attempt into a fundraising bonanza and previously had monetized his mug shot at the Fulton, Georgia, county jail. So anything is possible on Jan. 20.
The “God Bless the USA Bibles,” which also “contain America’s founding documents,” ironically, are printed in China. An AP report estimated the production cost at $3.00 each, but expect a price increase after Trump’s forthcoming tariffs on Chinese imports.
The Trump Bible is just one of many products on what should be called “President Trump’s Home Shopping Network.” Among his “endorsed” featured items are the sounds of victory played on “Trump Guitars,” priced from $1,000 to $11,500.
MAGA cool kids are wearing “Trump Sneakers” to the inaugural balls. The “Commander High Top Inauguration Edition” is only $299 — the same for those emblazoned with Trump’s victorious Electoral College Map. Negotiating rough political terrain is more manageable with “Trump Landslide” boots, but be patient, since all items are “pre-ordered” with “expected shipping in March or April.”
You can smell like the new president with Trump Fragrances. Feel his power with a splash of “Fight Fight Fight” or experience the smell of “Victory 47” cologne, priced at $100. To show loyalty, collect RealTrumpCoins — medallions with his face in silver and gold ranging from $100 to $3,645.47 — note the symbolic incorporation of the numbers “45” and “47” in the price.
All the products scream, “It’s Trump time,” his popular slogan from the television ad for Trump Watches, priced from $699 to $100,000. The “inauguration collection” features the $1,199 “Diamond Commander,” limited to only 500 copies. The maker of these extremely controversial Trump watches is “TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC,” located at an address in Sheridan, Wyo., according to the state’s business database. The initial corporate filing date was July 29, 2024, which must have left little time to make “the best watches on earth” when they debuted on Sept. 27, 2024. The Wyoming address appears connected not only to the Trump watches but to the sneakers and fragrances as well.
The watch-seller’s state-registered agent is “Cloud Peak Law LLC,” rated poorly on Lawyers.com. Listed as the Best Watches on Earth “organizer” is Andrew Pierce, with a preponderance of one-star Yelp reviews that point to WyomingLLCAttorney. That site’s headline is, “Form a Wyoming LLC.” Scroll down to the long disclaimer, beginning with, “WyomingLLCAttorney.com is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.” But WyomingLLC Attorney shares its address with TheBestWatchesonEarth, which heavily advertises on the Fox News Channel, with the president-elect as the proud spokesman. And “45footwear LLC,” which sells the Trump Sneakers and Fragrances, also uses that same Coffen Ave. address.
“Buyer beware” since there is no information about the entities that actually make the watches, sneakers and fragrances. Suspiciously, on the “GetTrumpWatches” site and for such a luxury item, “WyomingLLC Attorney” fails to mention the name or location of its manufacturing arm. Before purchasing, take some “Trump time” to absorb the disclosure, which reads in part: “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.”
TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC “uses the ‘Trump’ name, image and likeness under a license agreement which may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”
Translation: President Trump won’t care if your “pre-ordered” $799 “Trump Crypto President Watch 47” does not arrive as advertised, because as another warning states: “The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.”
Whether or not you are pleased with your purchase, know that Trump was handsomely paid under a licensing agreement, and all Trump-endorsed products use similar disclosures. For example, the Trump Bible states: “GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC…”
Are you curious about that holy “paid license” from CIC Ventures LLC? Florida corporate data records a location in West Palm Beach, FL. — coincidentally, the address is that of Trump International Golf Club. The “authorized person” for CIC Ventures is John B. Marion IV, a Florida lawyer whose long bio fails to mention his connection to the company.
Will Trump’s “White House Shopping Network” continue during his presidency? Most certainly, if the products generate cash without too much blowback for high prices, poor reviews or likely connections to manufacturing in China and India.
Although Trump-licensed products might generate millions of dollars, that is chump change compared to the current and potential revenue streams from The Trump Organization, their cryptocurrency platform named World Liberty Financial — and Trump Media and Technology Group, a public company that owns Truth Social, of which the new president owns 58.7 percent.
Last Friday, the Trump organization released a voluntary ethics pledge to help avoid conflicts of interest, which specifies no new transactions or contracts with foreign governments. Nonetheless, Team Trump was heavily criticized for not addressing “potential new contracts with private foreign companies” where the big money can be made.
Does anyone care that domestic or international branding and licensing of the president is undignified and demeaning to the nation? And who will stop Trump from monetizing the office even more than before?
Meanwhile, legions of fans will be buying what Trump’s “Home Shopping Network” is selling. MAGA loyalists believe that makes America great.
Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.
