Even On Election Day, Trump Is Hawking His Merch
On Election Day 2024, a Trump entity emailed supporters with the subject, "Let's Make History Together Today." But the message wasn't offering recipients a ride to the polls, asking them to encourage their friends to vote for him or help fund any legal challenges.
Rather the email encouraged Trump's supporters to "Do Your Part In Making America Great" by buying merchandise like a 45' Pickleball paddle ($180), Trump 45 sneakers ($225), auto-signed copy of a coffee-table book of photos of Trump's presidency that are largely in the public domain ($500) or dozens of other products in the Trump Store's Trump45 collection. Free shipping on orders over $125.
The email serves a timely reminder that during his time in the White House, Donald Trump fell far short of his promise to separate his businesses from his administration.
At a Trump Tower press conference in January 2017, just days before he took office, Trump yielded the microphone to one of his attorneys to explain how he was "turning over complete and total control [of his businesses] to my sons."
"President-elect Trump wants there to be no doubt in the minds of the American public that he is completely isolating himself from his business interests," said Sheri Dillon of the law firm Morgan Lewis, standing beside piles of folders supposedly containing paperwork to extricate Trump from his eponymous organization. "He instructed us to take all steps realistically possible to make it clear that he is not exploiting the office of the presidency for his personal benefit."
Instead, the Trump Organization was quick to exploit its boss's time as president, a practice that has continued for years now.
His hotels, golf courses and other ventures sought to leverage the presidency to grow those profits every chance they got. Golf markers sporting the presidential seal popped up at his courses. The online Trump Store peddled bars of soap wrapped in a drawing of the White House. Even his fledgling D.C hotel, which he later sold, employed a director of diplomatic sales to work with foreign dignitaries. There were times his team reversed course after media outlets reported on the conflicts–the golf markers disappeared, the White House-themed bar of soap became the only one in the set without a wrapper and the director changed her title–but the exploitation continued.
As president, Trump leaned even further into his role as a promoter of his own businesses. The steakhouse in his hotel was the only restaurant in D.C. he was known to dine at while in office. On a 2020 West Coast swing, Air Force One flew him back from Los Angeles, Colorado Springs and Phoenix to Las Vegas each night so he and his entourage could rack up bills at his hotel, presumably at the taxpayers' expense. And Mar-a-Lago, which doubled up its initiation fee upon his election, truly became the Winter White House, where membership included the perk of poolside view of the president's war room .
And, as today's email reminds us, there's no reason to expect Trump to behave any differently if elected to a second term. The Trump Store, in fact, is already selling hats embroidered with "45–47." Spokespeople for Trump's organization and campaign did not respond to inquiries
More From Forbes Trump's Business Hauled In $2.4 Billion During Four Years He Served As President How Donald Trump Earned $550 Million In The White House How Donald Trump Made Billions From Politics Trump Businesses Received $7.8 Million From Foreign Countries During Presidency, House Reports
