Last week, while much of the country was focused on the sweeping legislative bill that will affect every single American in one way or another, President Donald Trump debuted a fragrance that he calls Victory 45-47. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, where he urged Americans to go buy it: “Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!”
Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!
Donald trump’s pitch for victory 45-47 fragrance on truth social
This is far from Trump’s first foray into the fragrance market; it’s at least his third. In 2012, Trump, then the star of NBC’s reality show “The Apprentice,” released a cologne called Success. When asked about Success and fragrances in GQ, Trump confirmed that he had, in fact, “never fired anybody for the wrong cologne—but I have fired people that, and maybe it wasn’t the main reason, didn’t exactly smell good.”
Trump debuted a second perfume, called Fight, Fight, Fight, last summer after surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Still for sale today, Fight, Fight, Fight bears a photo of Trump with his fist raised in triumph, likely in reference to the infamous photo captured from that moment.
Now there’s Victory 45-47 for “men who lead with strength, confidence, and purpose.” The description of the women’s fragrance says that it “captures confidence, beauty, and unstoppable determination” and that it is a “sophisticated, subtly feminine scent that’s your go-to signature for any occasion.”
From Muhammad Ali to Ariana Grande, there’s a very long history of celebrities and public figures who have capitalized on the lucrative fragrance industry. Paris Hilton, who released her 30th fragrance in April, has reportedly sold more than $2.5 billion in perfume since 2004. Of course, Trump is not a mere celebrity, but the president of the United States of America.
That’s why this whole enterprise stinks. Shilling products as a candidate or president has become de rigueur for Trump. Victory 45-47 is the latest in a long list of items he’s hawked including watches, guitars, sneakers and Bibles. According to financial disclosures released in June, Trump has $1.6 billion in assets including his branded items.
Fragrance, the fastest-growing sector in the massive beauty industry, is projected to hit $9 billion in annual sales by 2026. There has been a proliferation of social media posts dedicated to finding a “signature scent” with an emphasis on mixing more than one brand-name perfume. Perfume is no longer regarded as a luxury, but a necessity where price matters little. Rihanna, for example, who has a reputation for smelling good, reportedly wears a fragrance that sells for up to $1,020. She is inspirational, not aspirational, for perfume devotees.
So, how does Victory 45-47 smell? Apparently, not bad.
So, how does Victory 45-47 smell? Apparently, not bad. Fragrantica, which reviewed the cologne and the perfume, described the perfume as “very safe, fresh, and pleasant fougère […] simple and inoffensive, rather quiet, office-safe, with a sweetish and smooth amber-woody finish.” The cologne was similarly described as “an average, passing casual masculine scent without remarkable details.” This inoffensive type smell is common for celebrity perfumes nowadays: Pedestrian smells sell more units.
Trump supporters, though, may care less about the scent than they do the limited edition Victory 45-47 bottle, which is clearly intended as a collector’s item. The bottle is composed of a rose gold figurine of a remarkably slim Trump that looks like a cross between a Little League trophy and the massive statue that Turkmenistan’s former dictator erected of himself in 2015. The figurine sits atop a base adorned with Trump’s signature. The 2012 GQ item about Trump’s Success fragrance said it would be “sold as a four-piece collection and range from $14 to $55.” It seems he went higher-end this time around. At $250 for 3.3 ounces, Victory 45-47 is far more expensive than the ubiquitous Chanel No. 5, but cheaper than Brooklyn’s most cliché scent Le Labo Santal 33. Trump has deftly tapped into one of the most damning parts of contemporary American culture: conspicuous consumption. 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. That kind of avarice in a president 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. Last week, while much of the country was focused on the sweeping legislative bill that will affect every single American in one way or another, President Donald Trump debuted a fragrance that he calls Victory 45-47. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, where he urged Americans to go buy it: “Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!”
Hannah Holland
Hannah Holland is a producer for MSNBC's "Velshi" and editor for the "Velshi Banned Book Club." She writes for MSNBC Daily. 
