Any individual who raises the modest sum of $2.5 million for the re-election of Donald Trump will be granted, in addition to privileged access to various events, a “personalized” pair of golden sneakers decorated with an American flag and a capital T. The Republican candidate presented them last month at a sports shoe show and the thousand pairs sold out in a few hours for $399.99 each. Donald Trump’s campaign is looking more and more like a big bazaar. While the former president was fined $450 million for financial fraud, anything goes when it comes to making money.
He also promotes “Victory47”, a perfume whose cap is a bust in his likeness. And launched several series of digital trading cards in the form of NFTs (literally non-fungible tokens, or digital assets) that depict him in soldier, cowboy and Superman costumes. Just before Easter, the former president, notoriously adulterous and convicted of fraud and sexual assault, also began promoting patriotic bibles at $59.99. Decorated with an American flag, they are accompanied by the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and other founding texts. In a promotional video, the candidate exclaims: “Every American needs a Bible in their home, and I have plenty.” And he adds: “It’s my favorite book.” He must not open it often because in 2016 he was unable to differentiate between the Old and New Testaments. Did he sell large quantities? Only god knows. In any case, not all Christians appreciate this crude merchandising: “To see a demagogue recover our faith and our sacred texts to serve his quest for power is the bankruptcy of Christianity,” writes the Reverend Benjamin Cremer on X.
“All campaigns use derivatives,” notes Bruce Newman, a political marketing specialist at DePaul University. At Trump, however, this has reached an unprecedented level of activity. None of his predecessors ever offered such a variety of things, including the Bible. This is an unprecedented monetization of its supporters.”
The real estate developer has experience in this area. He’s been putting his name on steaks, eyeglass frames, vodka for 40 years… And while many of these brands fizzled very quickly, his red “Make America Great Again” cap launched in 2016, on the other hand, is experiencing a boom. huge success… which he is working to fight back, to pay attorney fees and damages that are accumulating.
A way also to deride one’s enemies
Not to mention that he lags behind his Democratic rival Joe Biden in fundraising. But the profits from the Bible or the sneakers will not fuel his presidential campaign, assure the sites that market Trump products. These do not belong to the former president who simply receives royalties for lending his name.
His social network Truth Social could prove significantly more lucrative. The parent company, Trump Media, certainly posted a loss of $58 million in 2023. But the share price soared upon its IPO, valuing the company at its peak at $11 billion. If the stock does not collapse, Trump, who owns 57% of the shares, could hit a jackpot.
Donald Trump also relies on derivative products bearing his name to deride his enemies. Last year, after his visit to Fulton Prison in Georgia as part of the trial over his interference in the 2020 elections, his team printed T-shirts and mugs with his mugshot accompanied by this caption “Never surrender”. In a few days, he raked in, he says, more than $9 million. He also sold 2,024 pieces of the blue suit he wore that day, billed as “the most historically significant object in American history.” For a whopping $4,653, we won, in addition to the piece of fabric, a dinner with the great man and 47 digital collector cards. Collector!