Trump stomps on MAGA-themed California winery in trademark spat

The owner of a MAGA-themed winery in California is locked in a battle with President Trump over the trademark to its wine collection honoring the president.

Paul Johnson, the owner of the Republican Red Winery in Monterey, told The California Post he launched his “45-47” collection, an obvious nod to Trump who is the 45th and 47th President of the United States, in January 2024, before Trump won his second term.

It features several red and white wines, including one called the “45-47 Republican Red Special Edition” and a white “45-47 Chardonnay.”

“Bold, unapologetic, and all-American, our 45-47 wine collection is a powerhouse, just like the man who inspired it,” reads a description of the labels.

Now, companies affiliated with Trump — Trump Wine Marks, LLC, CIC Operations LLC, and DTTM Operations LLC — have filed a claim with the US Patent and Trademark Office to stop the trademark of Republican Red’s “45-47,” the Daily Mail reported.

In June 2025, Johnson said he filed for the “45-47” trademark after he saw a company marketing 45-47 Whiskey. The Trump team said it only recently became aware of it, the outlet reported.

“This is a simple misunderstanding, in my opinion,” Johnson told the Post. “I created and launched the 45-47 collection in January 2024, 11 months before Trump became our 47th President, even before he was the Republican nominee.”

Trump’s attorneys argue that using the “45-47” name could create “confusion” for consumers that the wine is somehow affiliated with Trump. It also could create a “false suggestion of a connection” of the wines being endorsed by the president, who famously doesn’t drink alcohol, the Daily Mail reported.

“I had a cordial conversation with Eric Trump in October 2024. He was aware of our 45-47 bottle and had no issue with it at that time,” Johnson said.

“Since then, obviously, the Trump Organization has filed for many trademarks. We were issued a patent mark a few months ago for our 45-47 label in the wine category.”

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“The Trump Org simply requested the patent office retract the mark — it was not a cease and desist letter,” he added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this was just an automatic action by their legal team to protect the 45-47 rights across all industries.”

Johnson’s winery also sells a variety of other Trump-themed wines, including Chardonnays labeled “Drain the Swamp” and “Drill Baby Drill.”  He also has a red named in honor of the actions the US took against Iran called “Epic Fury.”

“Our support of President Trump is unwavering,” Johnson said. “We know that he and his family support small business like ours that are dedicated to producing American Made products.”

He told the Post it was a simple business matter that he anticipates being quickly and easily resolved. 

Johnson recently talked about the challenges of selling his wines in stores because of his Republican support.

“The retail stores won’t carry us, they won’t allow us in there. That’s why we’re an online company only because the word ‘Republican’ is in our name and they’re afraid that the Libs here in California and across the country will come in and make a stink about it,” Johnson told Newsmax.

A message on the winery website said that the owner’s “commitment to quality and patriotism is evident in every bottle produced at Republican Red Winery.”

“We believe it’s time to restore sanity to the discussion about conservatives and what it means to be Republican,” it read. “It’s time to give voice to the silent majority.”