ScottsMiracle-Gro
Fertilizer and potting soil company
Reason: Grows the pro-Trump agenda
Miracle-Gro isn’t just fertilizer — it’s a revenue engine powering a company whose leadership is financially and personally aligned with Donald Trump. Every bag sold strengthens a corporation that donates to Trump’s main super PAC, pushes his political agenda through lobbying, and publicly celebrates his leadership. For consumers who don’t want their lawn care budget funding Trump-aligned political power, Miracle-Gro deserves a second look.
Evidence & Context
Parent company: Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
ScottsMiracle-Gro may appear to be a simple lawn-and-garden brand, but under the leadership of CEO James Hagedorn, the company has increasingly intertwined itself with Donald Trump’s political movement. Through direct corporate donations, executive contributions, public praise, and sustained lobbying, Scotts has demonstrated a clear pattern of financial and ideological alignment with Trump and the political organizations that support him.
Direct CEO Alignment With Donald Trump
In a July 31, 2025 interview on Fox Business, CEO James Hagedorn openly praised Donald Trump, calling himself a “major fan” and stating that Trump is the only person capable of driving federal cannabis reform. He also disclosed having “multiple conversations” with Trump regarding cannabis policy during Trump’s second term. The interview can be viewed on Fox Business.
Corporate Political Contributions
According to OpenSecrets, ScottsMiracle-Gro and its affiliates donated a total of $770,496 during the 2024 election cycle — 81% from corporate funds and 19% from individual donors tied to the company. Scotts also spent $800,000 on federal lobbying efforts.
Most significantly, the company donated $500,000 directly to Make America Great Again Inc., the principal super PAC supporting Donald Trump’s campaign and post-election political agenda.
Executive-Level Political Donations
Federal Election Commission filings show a pattern of political contributions from Scotts executives, including James Hagedorn and Chris Hagedorn. These contributions can be viewed through the FEC’s searchable database: FEC Individual Contribution Records .
These donations — made by top executives and tied directly to their employment at Scotts — reinforce the company’s leadership-level financial support for Trump-aligned candidates and conservative political organizations.
A Clear Pattern of Political Affinity
When viewed together, ScottsMiracle-Gro’s corporate donations, executive contributions, CEO praise for Trump, and active lobbying all reveal a consistent pattern: the company uses its financial and political influence to support Trump-aligned policies and political groups.
This alignment means that consumer spending on ScottsMiracle-Gro products indirectly supports a network of Trump-backed political organizations, agenda-setting super PACs, and policy influence campaigns.
Bottom Line
For many consumers, gardening products seem apolitical — but ScottsMiracle-Gro’s leadership has tied the brand tightly to Trump’s political movement. From half-million-dollar donations to Trump’s main super PAC to public praise and policy coordination with Trump himself, the company’s political stance is neither subtle nor incidental.
Supporting ScottsMiracle-Gro means helping fund Trump-aligned political influence, lobbying efforts, and ideological messaging — making the brand incompatible with consumers who do not want their dollars used to advance partisan political power.