Josh Gerben Analyzes ‘TRUMP TV’ Trademark Filing for The New York Times

Trump’s decision to hold the G20 Summit at Trump National Doral Miami has received relatively no pushback from Republicans. This is in sharp contrast to when he proposed holding the G7 there in his first term and ended up scraping the idea after it outraged his fellow party members.

This is just the most recent example of the way Trump has pushed the norms of what is considered normal in his second term. Another example is a recent trademark application filed by Trump Org for ‘TRUMP TV.’

Josh Gerben discussed the implications of the trademark filing with The New York Times. 

The trademark could allow Trump’s business to require the government to agree to a licensing deal to keep using the name, explained Josh Gerben, a Washington DC trademark attorney who first wrote about the trademark application. It could also allow the president to take the current government operation with him when he leaves office.

“They’re reaping the benefits from all the taxpayer funds that are being used to create and run that channel,” he said. “Obviously, politics has changed a lot in however many years. But I’m 45 years old and I can’t imagine any president before Trump getting away with this without being eviscerated in the media.”

Source: Baker, Peter. https://www.nytimes.com. “An Outrage in 2019. No Problem in 2026. Trump Has Moved the Ethical Line.”. 4 October 2026.