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Donald Trump has stamped his name on a variety of products since leaving office.
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The former president has continued to hawk items while also balancing his 2024 campaign.
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Trump has sold shoes, NFTs, and even a bible.
Former President Donald Trump continues to hawk his own merchandise as he enters the home stretch of his campaign to retake the White House.
There are shoes, digital collectibles, and a bible that he produced with singer Lee Greenwood. Even the former president’s assassination attempt has become profit-making material. The historic image of him raising his fist after being grazed by a bullet is on the cover of a new hardcover picture book that will recount his time in the White House — available for $99 or $499 if you want Trump’s signature.
Trump also turned his initials into a profit-seeking venture. In March, “DJT” returned to Nasdaq under the umbrella of Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group. The former president is by far the alternative social media platform’s biggest asset.
According to his most recent financial disclosure, the various offerings amount to big business. Trump has made more than $12 million alone just by selling NFTs and books.
As a former reality TV star, Trump has put his name on everything from board games and steaks to the sides of buildings. According to his most recent financial disclosure, Trump is the manager and president of an LLC that has been the vehicle for many of his post-White House dealings.
Former presidents have long found ways to profit after leaving office. But unlike Trump, no modern one-term president has seriously sought to reclaim his old job.
President Ulysses S. Grant’s widow, Julia Grant, made $450,000 off of the memoirs that he penned shortly before his death. More recent former presidents have found other avenues beyond just book sales.
Gerald Ford is regarded for kick-starting the trend of serving on corporate boards after the “accidental president” accepted seats from blue-chip companies like 20th Century Fox and American Express. Ronald Reagan caused a stir when he accepted $2 million for a series of appearances in Japan. Bill Clinton later electrified the speaking fees trend.
It’s estimated that he and former former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton amassed a staggering $100 million fortune after she left office. Not to be outdone, Netflix reportedly paid Barack and Michelle Obama into the high eight figures.
As President George W. Bush explained his approach upon leaving office, it was time to “replenish the ol’ coffers.”
“I don’t know what my dad gets,” Bush told journalist Robert Draper. “But it’s more than 50, 75” thousand dollars a speech. He added, “Clinton’s making a lot of money.
Congress once feared former presidents living in destitution. Former President Harry Truman personally wrote to key members of Congress after he left office that he might have to resort to taking welfare. (New York Magazine uncovered evidence that strongly undermines Truman’s widely attributed image of meager post-White House wealth.) After Truman’s lobbying, lawmakers passed financial support for former presidents that continues to this day.
In addition to receiving lifetime Secret Service protection (a service that briefly appeared to be going away and is now enshrined again in law), former presidents enjoy perks that cover office space, staff funding, and travel reimbursement.
Here’s how Trump is trying to make some extra money in 2024.
Truth Social
While not a product, Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, looms the largest in his post-presidential portfolio. According to Forbes, more than half of Trump’s estimated net worth is attributed to his stake in Truth’s parent company.
Trump Media has struggled since its quasi-IPO in March. Shares now hover around $20, a massive drop from the near $70 a share the company was trading for amid its early bonanza.
Trump holds 114,750,000 shares, or nearly 59%, of Trump Media, according to CNBC. Thus far, he’s been prohibited from selling any part of his stake due to a “lockup agreement.” The limits on Trump and some other shareholders are set to expire no later than a month for now and could potentially be lifted even sooner.
The platform also illustrates the blend between Trump’s business interests and campaign. Truth frequently sends out push alerts touting Trump’s latest posts. Share prices also dipped after Trump began to post more on the Elon Musk-owned X, formerly known as Twitter, illustrating just how important the former president remains to the company’s bottom line.
Trump is selling a copy of his favorite book: The Bible.
For $60, Trump’s edition of the religious text includes “a “handwritten chorus to ‘God Bless The USA’ by Lee Greenwood.'” The former president frequently features the Greenwood patriotic anthem at his rallies.
The Trump Bible also includes a copy of the US Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights.
According to Trump’s recent financial disclosure, he made $300,000 off of the bible.
Shoes
CIC Ventures, which produces a Trump sneaker line, has expanded its offerings. There are now over a dozen pairs to choose from, along with slides and even a cooler.
The company even made special edition shoes emblazoned with a bloodied Trump named “Fight, Fight Fight” in honor of the words the former president shouted to a Pennslyvania crowd after surviving an assassination attempt. There’s also a “Crypto President” pair that highlights Trump’s embrace of Bitcoin.
At $499, the most expensive pair, “The Trump Presidential Golf Shoes,” are sold out, according to the website.
Trump attended SneakerCon, a shoe-focused convention in Philadelphia, to promote the shoe line.
NFTs
Trump has licensed multiple editions of digital trading cards since leaving office. The most recent set offers collectors a chance to own a physical card that includes a swatch of the suit Trump wore in the earliest-ever presidential debate. President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance set of a firestorm that eventually led him to drop out of the race entirely.
“His knockout performance resulted in a decisive victory, dramatically shifting the course of the Presidential Race. Historians will be talking about this Debate for years to come,” the product description reads.
The current offering follows a previous “Mugshot edition” which allowed collectors to own part of the suit the former president wore for his Fulton County Georgia mugshot.
The cards, still available as of August 30, start at $99. For $1,485, collectors will get the suit card, three pairs of Trump-emblazoned shoes, and 35 additional NFTs. Dinner with Trump at a special gala held at his Juniper, Florida, golf club is included in packages starting at $7,425.
According to his latest financial disclosure, Trump made more than $7.1 million in NFT licensing fees.
Cologne and perfume
The same company selling Trump shoes also sells cologne and perfume stamped with the former president’s name. The “Victory47” bottles are each listed for $199 respectively. The cologne bottle’s image, subject to change, has a Trump head topper.
“A crisp opening of citrus blends into a cedar heart, underpinned by a rich base of leather and amber, crafting a commanding presence. ‘Victory’ is more than a fragrance— this cologne is for the movers, the shakers, and the history makers,” the product description reads.
Victory 47 is a nod to Trump’s hope that he will win in November, making him both the 45th and 47th president. Buyers are expected to get their bottles later this fall, meaning they can smell like Trump on Election Day.
Read the original article on Business Insider
