
Both President Donald Trump and his adult sons – Donald Jr. and Eric – have been widely criticized for using their positions to enrich themselves (primarily off of cryptocurrency). But now, even Donald Jr.'s daughter, Kai Trump, is also making money off of the White House.
On Thursday, Kai Trump — who turned 18 in May — announced the launch of her own clothing line. The first granddaughter is seen posing in front of the White House wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with her initials, and her signature on the sleeve.
"This collection is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time, and I’m so grateful it’s finally here. Launching this line has been such an exciting project. From the quality of the fabric to the details in the designs, I wanted to create a piece that isn’t just merch but a staple you can wear anywhere," she wrote on X of the sweatshirts that are priced at $130 apiece. "There are Clean pieces you can mix, match, and make your own. I can’t wait to see how you style them!"
Kai Trump's new business venture was widely condemned on social media by various journalists, experts and commentators. University of Texas at Austin professor Josh Busby called the first granddaughter's clothing line "cute corruption." University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill history professor Joe Stieb called for "hundreds of articles of impeachment" against Trump "for emoluments violations alone." LGBTQ+ activist Mara Keisling wrote: "This is absolutely criminal." And Nilay Patel, who is editor-in-chief of tech outlet The Verge, pointed out that Kai Trump's clothing website is registered in Ukraine.
"This is the predictable & unprecedented new level of open corruption that happens when the president openly monetizes his hotel in plain sight for four years & we don't do anything about it," University of Wisconsin political science professor Mark Copelovitch wrote on Bluesky.
"Airhead grifters with zero respect for our nation," former New York Daily News reporter Helen Kennedy wrote.
Other critics demanded a portion of Kai Trump's profits. Retired military intelligence officer Alex Timmons wrote on Bluesky: "She's using our house for this s--- so those profits should be all ours." Willamette University history professor Seth Cotlar also asked: "Does every American citizen get a cut of the profits?"