Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign wasted no time in capitalizing on his recent felony charges. Just 90 minutes after Trump was released from an Atlanta jail on Thursday, his campaign began selling merchandise featuring his mug shot. The merchandise, which includes T-shirts, mugs, koozies, and bumper stickers, is accompanied by the words “NEVER SURRENDER!” and ranges in price from $12 to $34.
The Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee is also offering a T-shirt with Trump’s mug shot in exchange for a $47 donation. The campaign claimed in a fundraising email that the mug shot was an attempt to “make him look like a criminal in front of the entire world.” They urged supporters to make a contribution to prove that they will also “NEVER SURRENDER” the mission.
Not only is the Trump campaign profiting from the mug shot, but other Republicans are also jumping on the bandwagon. A committee for Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is running for reelection in 2024, urged supporters to donate to WinRed, a small-donor fundraising platform for Republicans, with the promise that all defense pledges would be flagged specifically for President Trump’s campaign.
Trump’s booking at Fulton County Jail was part of his fourth criminal indictment since March, and his second tied to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He faces 13 counts in the Georgia case, including violating the state’s racketeering act and conspiring to file false documents. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and described the investigation as a “political witch hunt.”
This is not the first time the Trump campaign has attempted to monetize the idea of Trump’s mug shot. After a New York grand jury indicted him in April for alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, the campaign sold T-shirts with a fake mug shot for $47, emblazoned with the words “NOT GUILTY.”
It remains to be seen how successful the campaign’s latest merchandise venture will be, but it is clear that Trump’s legal troubles have not deterred his supporters from showing their loyalty.
How does the immediate capitalization on his felony charges by launching merchandise sales reflect the current state of political advertising and its effects on electoral campaigns
Immediately after former President Donald Trump was released from an Atlanta jail on Thursday, his 2024 presidential campaign swiftly seized the opportunity to capitalize on his recent felony charges. Within a mere 90 minutes, his campaign launched the sale of various merchandise items.
“Wow, talk about spinning a negative situation into a money-making opportunity. Genius or shameless? 🤔”