President Donald Trump made rounds on social media for what many are calling a classless move: showing world leaders a makeshift gift shop at the White House, filled with merchandise including a hat labeled “Trump 2028,” teasing a possible — and unconstitutional — run for office.
CNN posted a clip on Instagram, which at first shows Trump giving the Azerbaijani president a tour of white shelves stacked with assorted hats — some simply reading USA, some with the familiar MAGA, others with 4 More Years, and of course, the controversial Trump 2028. The Trump administration has been playing both sides of the speculation game — ramping up talk or playing down the possibility of another constitutional challenge depending on how seriously the question is posed. In other words, it’s most likely a troll — but only just.
Other items on the shelves included cufflinks, his branded fragrances, and various merchandise made in his likeness for MAGA faithfuls. In the video, Trump can then be seen inviting other world leaders over — including French President Emmanuel Macron and his on-again, off-again ally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump was hosting high-level NATO leaders at the White House on August 18 to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, among other pressing issues concerning U.S. foreign policy and national security. As Trump continues attempting to convince Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace deal, some reports estimate that since the brutal border war began, around 400,000 people have died.
Critics have not failed to note how self-centered Trump has been throughout this negotiation period. From embarrassing President Zelensky in the Oval Office in front of the global media to launching a full-on campaign about why he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, Trump has consistently centered himself in wars the rest of the world considers grave. So, as you can probably imagine, the way he ended this meeting did not sit well with people on social media.
In the comments section of CNN’s Instagram post, some accounts wrote: “I’m genuinely embarrassed for us. This is very low class and cheap,” and “The White House is now a gift shop for Teslas and MAGA hats apparently.” On X, users echoed similar sentiments, calling the president’s “gift shop” embarrassing.
Embarrassing….Trump showed Zelenskyy and Macron his MAGA gift shop at the White House pic.twitter.com/O7cs7LUKUB
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 19, 2025
Trump has been going above and beyond to tweak the White House more to his taste — perhaps so he can feel at home. He has redone the Rose Garden, introduced a Presidential Wall of Fame with a subtle jab at Biden, and now this. Whatever it takes to make him comfortable at the White House and do his job should, in theory, be welcome. The NATO meeting was important, with lives on the line, yet according to AlterNet, Trump apparently snubbed the leaders’ arrival. Perhaps he showed up partly because he was excited to show them his merchandise.
Trump told his guests to take whatever they wanted. They all looked around, visibly puzzled. And besides, it’s not as though the French president would ever don a gold-plated MAGA hat. This was likely one of those moments where world leaders decided it was best just to humor Trump.
Published: Sep 26, 2025 02:10 pm