Grift alert: Trump’s cabinet picks push dubious products

President-elect Donald Trump has sold Trump-branded vodka, steaks, bottled water, sneakers, neckties, and bibles. Now, he’s stacking his cabinet with folks who have hawked similarly chintzy and bizarre products.

On Dec. 1, Trump said he would appoint MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel is a former federal prosecutor who worked in the Department of Defense during Trump’s first term.

In the last four years, Patel has tried to cash in on his proximity to Trump with Based Apparel, a clothing line that sells tees and sweatshirts emblazoned with pro-Trump words and images. The company’s logo is a skull with a Trump-esque haircut.

One item sold by Based Apparel is a red t-shirt printed with the words “Protect Our People” and a map of the United States. “Tired of seeing your hard earned money go overseas?” the product description asks, “Support your fellow Americans by purchasing a Protect Our People t-shirt.”

In a social media post, Menswear critic Derek Guy pointed out that the t-shirts are sourced from Central America and Haiti. 

Matthew Whittaker, Trump’s pick for Ambassador to NATO, also served in Trump’s first term as acting Attorney General. Prior to entering politics, Whittaker was involved in several business ventures, including a stint on the advisory board of World Patent Marketing, a Florida-based company that sought out investors for prospective products.

In 2014, Whittaker’s name appeared on promotional materials for a toilet that the company was marketing to “well-endowed men.”

“The average male genitalia is between 5’ and 6’,” the firm’s press release said, “However, this invention is designed for those of us who measure longer than that.”

World Patent Marketing also promoted cryptocurrency for time travelers. In 2022, the company was ordered to pay $26 million to the federal government for committing fraud.

Trump nominated Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a physician and Fox News personality, to be Surgeon General on Nov. 23. Nesheiwat’s sister is married to Florida Rep. Mike Waltz who Trump has tapped to be his national security adviser.

Nesheiwat’s name and image appears on a line of vitamins from the company B+C Boost. The company’s website features several quotes from Nesheiwat endorsing the products. Text at the bottom of the site warns, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”

A 30-day supply of B+C Boost’s supplements costs $26.99.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, another physician turned TV personality, is Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid. Like Nesheiwat, Oz has endorsed dubious health and medical products.

Usana Health Sciences, a Utah-based seller of supplements and skin care products, was a sponsor of Oz’s daytime talk show. Oz frequently touted the supposed benefits of the company’s products in segments that blurred the line between medical advice and advertisement. The company also made large donations to Oz’s charity.

More recently, Oz has been accused of violating the Federal Trade Commission’s influencer marketing rules. Oz has posted several videos on social media promoting herbal supplements sold by the online marketplace iHerb without disclosing that he is a stakeholder in the company. The FTC has not confirmed if the matter is being investigated.

If confirmed, Oz’s boss will likely be Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has nominated to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is a former lawyer and the founder of the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance (formerly Riverkeeper Alliance).

In 1999, Kennedy launched a line of bottled water that was intended to support Waterkeeper Alliance’s work. The New Republic reports that Kennedy’s bottled water included fluoride. He now says removing fluoride from drinking water is one of his top priorities.

Sebastian Gorka, a far-right commentator, served in Trump’s first term as a national security adviser and will return to that job in January. In 2019, Gorka appeared in a series of ads for a fish oil supplement that he claimed cured his chronic back pain. 

Gorka’s name appeared on screen in the ads as “Dr. Sebastian Groka.” His doctorate is in political science, not medicine.

Since winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump has rolled out several new Trump-branded products, including cologne and acoustic guitars.