Raw Story: 'Kind of amazing': Ethics expert aghast by Trump Christmas merchandise spree

[Dennis Donovan]

Raw Story - 'Kind of amazing': Ethics expert aghast by Trump Christmas merchandise spree

Brad Reed
December 25, 2024 2:49PM ET

President-elect Donald Trump is using the holiday season to further enrich himself by hawking a wide array of Christmas merchandise that has left at least one ethics expert aghast.

As the Washington Post reports, Trump-branded Christmas merchandise on sale this year includes a $38 Trump Advent calendar, a $95 Mar-a-Lago bauble, $22 candy cane Trump socks, an $86 "GIANT Trump Chocolate Gold Bar" and a $28 Trump apron that features Santa Claus waving an American flag.

What makes this cash-out particularly noteworthy is that Trump isn't even making a pretense about sending the proceeds to charity, but is rather pocketing the money for the Trump Organization.

"As the company encouraged customers to celebrate the holidays with Trump gifts for all ages, President-elect Donald Trump personally profited off of his upcoming term in a manner that is unprecedented in modern history — even during his unconventional first stint in the White House," reports the Post.

Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications for the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told the Post that he has never seen anything like this from any politician and wondered, "How much is he going to use the presidency just to sell Trump products?"

/snip

Grifting POS...

[newdeal2]

1. $86 for a chocolate bar

Thanks, Biden!

/s

[Ocelot II]

2. As long as there's a demand, Trump will provide the supply.

The fact that there's a demand is at least as appalling as the existence of the supply. MAGA regards these things as akin to holy relics. If you can't buy a piece of the Shroud of Turin, at least you can acquire a symbol of your fealty to Dear Leader by purchasing candy-cane Trump socks, almost certainly made in China; and when you wear them you can feel like you really belong.

[durablend]

3. Then there's the added bonus

"WE CAN'T AFFORD EGGS NOW! THANKS FOR NOTHING JOEBIDEN!!!!"

[sheshe2]

6. And his rubes will buy them.

86 dollars for a chocolate bar and these people were complaining about the price of eggs?!

[Ocelot II]

7. Exactly. We've established that Trump is an inveterate grifter.

Maybe we should be thinking more about why the grift works. Of course there's a sucker born every minute, but Trump's tacky wares don't even promise a benefit, like curing warts or restoring manly vigor. All they do is advertise that the buyer belongs to the cult (thereby helpfully notifying the rest of the world that he or she is a brainwashed moron). So a feeling of belonging to the cult must itself be the benefit. You can look down at your feet encased in Trump socks and Trump "golden" sneakers and fantasize about how He would love you and make you an ambassador or a Cabinet secretary if He could only see your feet, as well as your vast girth stuffed into a Trump t-shirt, plus the red MAGA hat on your balding head, not to mention the Trump flag the size of a galleon's topsail in your front yard.

I don't get it.

[sheshe2]

8. Good post.

...you are right and I don't get it either.

[spapeggy]

13. Do these people

Really think that wearing Trump branded items is a flex? They must know that they will be a laughingstock for wearing such things

[Dave Bowman]

4. "Trump gifts"

That's a great example of an oxymoron.

[3catwoman3]

5. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Beyond tacky - the very definition of crass commercialism.

[Dulcinea]

9. Barnum was right. That is all. nt

[EarthFirst]

10. So this must be what Tuberville was alluding to when he said Trump has brought 'Christmas back in America...'

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Neither trump nor his MAGA supporters have any class

[KatyaR]

12. "How much is he going to use the presidency just to sell Trump products?"

That's was the whole point of becoming President.

[Mz Pip]

14. The people who buy this crap

are the same ones who complain about the cost of eggs.
Maybe they could afford the damn eggs if they stop buying stupid Trump swag.