By Michael Woyton
Remember when Jimmy Carter was running for re-election and he packaged and sold bags of peanuts from his Georgia farm at premium prices to the public?
And when Mitt Romney got called out for strapping his family dog to the roof of his car and made up for the shame of it by selling Romney-branded dog kennels while he was vying for the presidency?
Of course not, because people who want to be in public service — up until the convicted felon, that is — had a sense of demeanor when it comes to hawking doodads and trinkets while asking for your votes.
Former president Donald Trump, who in the past has bankrupted a casino, defrauded students via a “university,” peddled steaks, vodka and wines, seems to have put out a yard sign and is having a garage sale.
Besides the sneakers and NFTs of a buffed up, imaginary version of himself, the Apprentice star is selling a silver coin for $100 that contains $30 worth of silver, a Bible (because no one can find one for free from a church or a motel) and a hardcover photo book.
Even Melania is selling a “Vote Freedom” $600 necklace and an assortment of Christmas ornaments, along with her new autobiography, as reported by BuzzFeed.
Reports are that Trump has brought in upwards of $12 million alone from NFTs and books, according to Business Insider.
Yes, there is a history of presidents cashing in after leaving office, BI reported, but “no modern one-term president has seriously sought to reclaim his old job.”
From Gerald Ford serving on corporate boards and Ronald Reagan accepting $2 million for appearances in Japan to Bill Clinton getting massive speaking fees and Barack and Michelle Obama cashing paychecks from Netflix, former commanders in chief have endeavored to keep the wolves from the door after turning in the keys to the White House.
However, Trump’s latest venture underlines the questionable propriety of selling anything one can while seeking to be the leader of the free world.
This past week the sultan of Mar-a-Lago unveiled the availability of pricey watches, ranging from around $500 to $100,000, the latter of which is limited to 147 watches.
Of course, his name is prominently on the dial of the so-called “Swiss-made” watches, The Hollywood Reporter said, and the more expensive ones have his signature on the back.
THR contacted the marketing director of a well-known Swiss brand of timepieces who said the watches “scream Chinese-made” and “none of them is worth the asking price.”
And is anyone surprised that, like the gold sneakers that were announced back in February, the watches are only available for pre-order with delivery dates sometime between October and December, The Hollywood Reporter said.
One can only think that, if he were to sell all 147 of the priciest watches at $100,000 per, that gives the former president a cool $14.7 million and buys the purchasers a lot of influence if he wins the White House again. I really doubt any of that money will make into his campaign coffers.
Seriously, though, it is hard to imagine anyone giving Trump any of their hard-earned cash for anything he is selling. But, to paraphrase something associated with American showman P.T. Barnum, there is a sucker of a cultist born every minute.
I do hope they hang on to their grocery money though, since they say that is such a concern.
Lead art: Screen grab from Trump’s watch video
On Second Thought 