Trump Organization Files Trademarks for America's 250th Anniversary

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The Trump Organization has filed a series of trademark applications related to the United States' 250th anniversary this year, including two 'Trump 250' images and a design with 'Trump 250' and five aircraft with converging contrails. This comes as some government watchdog groups have questioned whether the president is trying to hijack bipartisan plans for the milestone commemoration to benefit his own interests.

Why it matters

The president's efforts to trademark imagery and branding around the 250th anniversary have raised concerns that he may be attempting to personally profit from or gain political capital from the national celebration, rather than allowing it to be a bipartisan commemoration of American history.

The details

The trademark applications were filed on March 6 by DTTM Operations, the company that manages President Donald Trump's intellectual property holdings. The applications include two 'Trump 250' images for use on various merchandise, as well as a design featuring five aircraft with converging contrails and 'Trump 250' at the bottom. This comes after the president created a nonprofit to carry out his own vision of the 250th anniversary, separate from the bipartisan America250 organization established by Congress in 2016.

• The trademark applications were filed on March 6, 2026.
• The United States' 250th anniversary celebrations are planned for later in 2026.

What’s next

The trademark applications will be reviewed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and it remains to be seen whether they will be approved or if the concerns raised by watchdog groups will impact the process.