Former President Donald Trump has significantly expanded his branding efforts during his second term, establishing institutions such as the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace and the Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Additionally, he has introduced products like Trump Accounts for newborns and Trump Gold Cards for affluent individuals seeking U.S. residency. Notable Trump portraits have been displayed in select federal buildings, and smaller versions are set to appear on national park passes. Plans are also underway for a Trump class of battleships for the Navy and a commemorative coin to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

This phase of Trump's branding follows his earlier career as a developer, where he prominently featured his name on various projects. In the 2000s, leveraging his fame from the reality show "The Apprentice," he transformed his name into a commercial brand, associating it with a range of products and services, including steaks, wine, and seminars. While some ventures, such as Trump University, faced legal challenges and settlements for fraud, Trump’s marketing strategy, which he articulated in a 2013 tweet, emphasized the importance of self-promotion.

The normalization of such self-aggrandizement in the context of the presidency raises concerns, as it aligns Trump with historical figures known for similar practices. Leaders like Alexander the Great, Joseph Stalin, Napoleon, and Mao Zedong have all engaged in self-promotion through the renaming of cities and institutions in their honor, often in the context of militarism and authoritarianism. This trend of leaders seeking to immortalize themselves through public spaces and structures reflects a broader pattern of power dynamics and the implications of such actions on societal values and historical memory.