‘The Weeknight’: Trump’s ‘inflation crisis’ has come for his MAGA merch

As millions of Americans struggle with rising costs, MS NOW’s Luke Russert said President Donald Trump’s “inflation crisis” has come for his MAGA merch. On Tuesday’s “The Weeknight,” Russert and co-hosts Symone Sanders Townsend and Michael Steele reacted to a new report from The Washington Sun that found prices for several Trump-branded items have surged in recent years, far outpacing U.S. inflation.

In 2015, Make America Great Again hats, now a symbol of Trump’s political career, sold for $25 on the then-candidate’s website. In 2026, the same hats cost $55. The Washington Sun also reported that the website has raised the price of Trump’s Victory 45-47 perfume twice since its February 2024 debut at $99. It now costs $249. “That reeks of impropriety,” Russert said of the 151.52% increase.

“I guess they thought they were going to be exempt,” Sanders Townsend said, adding, “This is what happens” when people believe “the consequences from this administration” won’t affect them. “Now the little nasty perfume is twice than it was before.”

Steele said Trump had long “tapped” into a market in which he could put his name on almost any product and expect it to sell. Trump thought, he said, “I’ll put my face on something, and that’s enough. They will buy it.”

“And they have,” Steele continued. “Y’all have made Donald Trump a very, very wealthy man.”

But as the prices climb, the MS NOW host said, even some of Trump’s most devoted supporters are feeling the squeeze.

“When you go to look at a rally, you can see people decked out to the nines in MAGA merch,” Steele said. “But that roost has come home for a lot of these people because now they can’t afford the stuff.”

When contacted by The Washington Sun, the White House directed questions to the Trump Organization, which the outlet said did not respond to requests for comment.

The White House has repeatedly denied the president has profited from his office.

You can watch the full discussion from “The Weeknight” here.

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