Leaning to the Right

A handful of conservative women in the U.S. who are pundits or otherwise famously politically right-leaning have launched merchandise collections in the last year. Historically, such celebrities have been viewed as too controversial for most manufacturers and retailers who are aiming their goods at a mainstream market; a few initiatives, mostly limited-edition and targeted at a niche audience that has indicated support for the celebrity’s views, have debuted over the years. The current political winds seem to be leading to a slight acceleration of product debuts in this space, however.  

Here are some of the ventures that have launched recently and in previous years: 

  • Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of the President and a former TV producer who recently served as the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, launched an activewear collection in late November 2024, shortly after the election. Trump is also a fitness enthusiast who often posts workouts online. The LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection, sold on a proprietary direct-to-consumer website, is marketed as American-made and designed for comfort, performance, and durability. It also “isn’t just activewear—it’s a celebration of strength, resilience, and patriotism,” according to the brand’s Instagram site. Some pieces feature red, white, and blue color schemes or accents such as the initials USA and flag images, and collections have names such as the “America Collection,” “No Days Off,” and “Unleash the Hero.”
  • Elizabeth Pipko, a model, activist, media personality, and author who got into politics during the first Trump administration and is the national spokesperson for the Republican Party, paired with Esteem Couture for a promotional partnership in early 2024 that included a four-piece collaborative Esteem x Pipko collection of dresses. The pieces were designed to represent strength, femininity, grace, and pride in Judaism. Pipko supports Jewish causes and advocates against anti-Semitism, and 10% of the purchase price of her collection was donated to women in Israel affected by the events of October 7th, 2023, via Bulletproof Israel. Pipko also has an endorsement agreement with NOÄ Jewelry. Both NOÄ and Esteem are Jewish-owned and celebrate Judaism in their marketing and product designs. 
  • Melania Trump launched a line of necklaces, with several featuring patriotic symbols, in 2024, among other products. Her current range of merchandise, all sold through her website, includes books, collectible NFTs and cryptocoins, and Christmas ornaments, mostly limited editions and featuring patriotic themes or likenesses of the First Lady. Melania Trump had previously overseen branded items such as jewelry and timepieces sold on QVC and Home Shopping Network starting in 2010, and a caviar-infused skincare line that debuted in 2013, both before her husband entered politics. A 2017 defamation lawsuit revealed plans for further lifestyle merchandise, emphasizing a concern that the defendant’s words would harm her potential branding opportunities in specific categories including apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, hair care, skincare, and fragrance.  
  • In August 2019, Tomi Lahren, a broadcaster with Fox News who has also starred on other conservative media outlets, paired with Alexo Athletica, a maker of activewear known for its “carrywear,” including yoga pants with reinforced pockets for small firearms, Tasers, pepper spray, and similar devices. Lahren’s Freedom line of leggings and sports bras encompassed nine products, which featured design elements such as red, white, and blue hues and prints featuring stars and camo patterns, and was billed as appealing to consumers who are “proud to be Americans.” The line attracted controversy for Alexo’s focus on conceal-and-carry and because some of the products were imanufactured in China—something discovered by consumers and later confirmed by Lahren—despite the line being billed as American-made. Lahren said at the time that the partners were working toward an American-made line but economics had not allowed that initially.  
  • Sadie Robertson, who first gained fame as part of the Duck Dynasty family and since then has become an influencer, author, and contestant on Dancing with the Stars, has forged several limited-edition collaborations since 2013. Most have been focused on demurely designed, “Daddy-approved” apparel akin to her fashion choices as featured on the Duck Dynasty series. Licensees have included Sherri Hill for prom dresses, Clad & Cloth for casual apparel, Roma for boots, Wild Blue for denim, Glory Haus for faith-inspired home décor and jewelry, and most recently, Whitney’s for cookies. Political activism is not part of Robertson’s brand, but the family is known for its conservatism—her father Willie spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016—and Christian religion, and her faith is highlighted in some of her products. 
  • Ivanka Trump had an extensive licensing program up until 2018, in the midst of her role in her father’s first administration, when she discontinued the Ivanka Trump Collection and related brands. Her lifestyle merchandise reportedly achieved sales of as high as $100 million per year. Before the closure, however, it had been dropped by retailers such as Nordstrom due to declining sales, had tried to transition to a more affordable brand positioning, and had faced controversy on a number of fronts (conflicts of interest, receiving expedited trademarks from China, and having products made outside of the U.S., for example). While she has been a private citizen for four years and does not plan to be active in the new Trump administration, her lifestyle brand has not been relaunched yet. Her products included apparel, accessories, perfume, jewelry, baby products, shoes, and more. They were not politically driven, as their heyday was before she got into politics, and in fact were harmed by her entry into that realm.

Note that three of these six celebrities have direct family ties to Donald Trump by blood or marriage, which likely gives them an advantage over other politically connected conservative celebrities in the current environment. Still, there are several other big names in the conservative space who have accrued large followings: Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Meghan McCain, Laura Ingraham, Laura Loomer, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, to name a few. 

Most of these women are still likely too controversial for licensees and retailers who are going after mass audiences consisting of shoppers of all political stripes. But it will be interesting to see what the next few years bring and whether more politically conservative female celebrities dip their toes into lifestyle products with like-minded manufacturers and retailers, or through direct-to-consumer channels where they can reach their fans directly. 

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