The opportunity was too great to miss. Since Sunday evening, July 14, when you try to go to Donald Trump’s official campaign website, a redirection to another website is now automatic. The destination: a fundraising platform. On it, right in the center, you can see the already “iconic” photo – as defined by Trump himself – of the Republican candidate, his ear bloodied and his fist raised, just seconds after being hit by a bullet during a rally in Pennsylvania.
The caption reads in capital letters: “DO NOT BE AFRAID. I am Donald J. Trump. I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. MAGA (Editor’s note: “Make America Great Again”, Donald Trump’s historic motto)”. And above all, just below, the tool to donate to the Republican candidate’s campaign, with pre-registered amounts ranging from $24 to $3,330. A red sliding bar lists the donors: “$1,500 has just been donated by James D.”; “$94 has just been donated by Andy H; “$48.93 has just been donated by Jerry A”, and many more.
Online stores are flourishing
Since this Saturday, while the campaign for the American presidential election has taken an unprecedented turn with this assassination attempt, some people are also seeking to seize the opportunity of this resounding political shock for their personal business.
Thus, unofficial online stores selling accessories illustrating the former American president are multiplying. One of them, “Donald Trump Store”, has already updated its catalog, for example, with a new t-shirt with the print of the same photo of Trump raising his fist, with “Fight Fight Fight” written in capital letters. All sold for the modest sum of 30 dollars. “Nothing can stop Trump. It’s US against them”, we can read in the description of the store.
$52 million raised after his conviction in court
Donald Trump is not new to transforming his current status – whether desired or imposed – into an electoral and financial asset. In the summer of 2023, a mugshot of the former American president, taken during his brief stint in prison in Atlanta, was widely used on social media and among Trump fans. That was all it took for Donald Trump’s official store to sell t-shirts, mugs, stickers and all sorts of accessories, depicting him as a martyr to justice.
Furthermore, after his conviction last June in the Stormy Daniels case, the former American president collected more than 52 million dollars in online donations in just 24 hours.
Donald Trump, for his part, has not yet made this assassination attempt a personal political coup. In his only interview given so far, New York Postthe former president insisted that he “should be dead,” describing the assassination attempt as “a very surreal experience.” But with a Republican Party convention in Milwaukee on Monday, set to ratify Donald Trump’s candidacy and choice of running mate for the presidential election, his speech will undoubtedly be highly anticipated. And will set a clear course for the direction he intends to give to the rest of an already unparalleled campaign.