President Donald Trump's new fragrance line shouldn't be viewed as any other product release. Instead, it should be seen as a warning sign, according to a new op-ed on MSNBC.com.
Trump's fragrance line, deftly named 'Victory 45-47,' is the president's latest business venture since he entered office for a second term. He has also launched a cryptocurrency venture, negotiated a hotel development in Saudi Arabia, and helped his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, land a luxury hotel deal in Serbia.
For any other president, these moves would be considered astonishing. However, Trump's actions align with his brand, which "deftly tapped into one of the most damning parts of contemporary American culture," according to MSNBC producer Hannah Holland.
"He has proven, again and again, that his fans will buy anything that bears his likeness. He, like so many celebrity perfumers before him, is not creating fragrance out of artistry or passion, but out of a seemingly insatiable desire for wealth," Holland wrote.
Trump is not the only celebrity to cash in on their brand recognition, but no others did so while serving as President of the United States.
During his first administration, Forbes reported that Trump's businesses received roughly $2.4 billion from domestic and foreign sources.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, estimated that Trump took home about $160 million from foreign customers.
Regardless of Trump's motivation, Holland argued that his actions "should worry us."
"After all, no matter how good, or 'safe,' Victory 45-47 might smell, a president selling it at all is a sign that we’re losing something as a country," Holland wrote in the op-ed.