Donald Trump Merchandise Empire Hits Inflation as MAGA Hat Prices Double to $55 Each Online

President Donald Trump's merchandise empire lists MAGA hats on the Trump Organisation website for $55 (£41.06) each, even as reports cite weaker demand and a Fox News poll showing widespread disapproval of his handling of inflation.

The Washington Sun reported that the hats cost $25 (£18.67) in the president's political merchandise store in 2015, after examining Wayback Machine archives.

The $55 (£41.06) listing appears on the Trump Organisation website, so the comparison is between different outlets and different points in time.

MAGA Hat Listings Carry Different Prices

The Trump Organisation lists its 'Make America Great Again' hats at $55 (£41.06) apiece, while the president's political action committee's official online store lists MAGA hats at $40 (£29.86). Both prices exceed the $25 (£18.67) recorded in the political store in 2015, although they represent separate listings.

According to The Washington Sun's analysis, hats in the political store cost $30 (£22.40) on the day of the deadly 6 January 2021 attack. That was $5 (£3.73) more than the 2015 price and below the $40 (£29.86) listing in the political committee's online store.

The distinction between the outlets matters when comparing the prices. At $55 (£41.06), the Trump Organisation listing is more than double the political store's 2015 price of $25 (£18.67).

It does not establish that a hat in a single store has doubled in price to $55 (£41.06). Nor does the comparison establish that the products are identical.

The prices record the amounts listed, but they don't explain what accounts for differences between outlets or how much of any increase reflects inflation.

Weaker Demand Accompanies Higher MAGA Hat Prices

The pricing report comes alongside accounts of declining merchandise sales. A vendor told Fortune that stores nationwide were closing and that demand has 'absolutely gone down' since 2024. That account concerns the wider market for Trump merchandise, not sales totals for either of the two official online outlets.

The vendor's description of weakening demand therefore provides context for the listings without establishing how many hats either store is selling.

The prices also sit alongside Trump's promise to end inflation on the first day of his second term. That pledge concerned the wider cost of living, while the merchandise listings offer a narrower comparison of the listed cost of hats carrying his political slogan.

Inflation Concerns Frame the MAGA Hat Debate

A Fox News poll found that 77% of registered voters disapproved of Trump's handling of inflation. That figure reflects voters' views of his inflation handling, not their views on merchandise prices or their willingness to buy a MAGA hat.

Todd Belt, a professor of political management at George Washington University in Washington, told The Washington Sun that higher prices mattered little to most of Trump's supporters. However, he called the markup 'tone-deaf' because affordability had been a top concern for voters.

Belt also offered his interpretation of the commercial strategy behind the prices, linking it to how much time Trump has left in office.

'That's trying to get all the sales you can before you leave office,' Belt said, adding, 'Donald Trump knows that his political career is on the clock, and he's going to try to get as much out of it financially as he possibly can.'