Former President Donald Trump sells God Bless America Bibles on Truth Social.
Source: Social Truth
Sneakers. Scent. Collectible cards. Bibles.
These are just some of the products Donald Trump is peddling as he runs to unseat President Joe Biden.
They join a vast catalog of Trump-branded products, from steaks to scented candles, that the businessman-turned-president has licensed over the years.
But with his campaign coffers dwindling and his fortune under threat, Trump — who has never completely separated his political career from his financial career — is now actively linking his business ventures to his bid for the White House.
“There is no precedent for this level” of commercial activity during a presidential campaign, Professor Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law School told CNBC, although “the trend has been growing for many years.” years”.
Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director of the money-in-politics watchdog Documented, agrees.
“I can’t think of any other modern example of a presidential candidate selling a whole line of products for personal benefit,” Fischer said.
For an average candidate, this activity could trigger a campaign finance investigation — but that likely won’t be the case for Trump, who was selling branded merchandise long before entering politics, according to Fischer.
“Trump is a unique case,” he said.
That uniqueness was on full display Tuesday, when Trump unveiled his latest promotion: a $60 Bible that includes copies of the nation’s founding documents, as well as lyrics to country star Lee Greenwood’s hit song, “God Bless the USA.”
Greenwood’s song, which joins Trump in endorsing the high-priced holy book, is regularly used at the presumptive Republican nominee’s campaign rallies.
Trump made the campaign connection even more explicit in a video announcing the promotion, warning that Americans’ rights are under threat and declaring, “we are going to fix it.” He also repeatedly invoked his campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
It’s not clear how much money Trump makes from the Bible — he gets royalties from its sales, a person familiar with the matter told the New York Times — but whatever he gets will effectively go into his pocket.
The Bibles website claims it has no connection to the Trump campaign. It instead uses Trump’s name, likeness and image under a paid license from a company called CIC Ventures LLC.
Trump’s 2023 financial filings list him as “director, president, secretary and treasurer” of CIC Ventures and list his revocable trust as the sole owner of the company. Trump earned more than $5 million in speaking engagements through the company, according to the disclosure. Florida business records show the CIC address is the same as Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Lessig noted that Trump’s business initiatives do not appear to violate campaign ethics or financial rules.
“I don’t think there is any ethical problem, provided the reporting requirements are met,” the professor said.
“There may be a problem with strategy or branding, but it’s the same as any political speech,” he added.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told CNBC: “These successful business deals are completely separate from the campaign. »
Trump’s biblical endorsement came during Holy Week, the lead-up to Easter and a holy time for Christians. It also came less than six weeks after Trump went to a sneaker convention in Philadelphia to launch his own line of tennis shoes.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump delivers a speech while introducing a new line of signature shoes at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Somodevilla chip | Getty Images
The aptly titled Trump Sneakers cost between $199 and $399 for pre-order. Two of the available styles are decorated with the number 45, a reference to Trump’s tenure as the 45th President of the United States.
That website selling the sneakers also advertises Trump’s brand “Victory47” cologne and perfume, both of which cost $99.
“’Victory’ is the signature scent of strength and success, encased in a luxurious golden bottle,” reads the cologne’s description on the site.
Trump’s presence at the convention further blurred the line between awareness campaign and capitalist enterprise.
“We’re going to change this country quickly. We’re going to turn it around. And we’re going to remember the young people, and we’re going to remember Sneaker Con,” he told the crowd, who greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos.
The sneaker site says “Trump” and its associated design are trademarks of CIC Ventures, and it notes that Trump has licensed his name and likeness to a company called 45Footwear LLC. This company would be registered in Wyoming, one of the cheapest places in the country to start a business.
The shoes are not designed, manufactured or distributed by Trump or the Trump Organization, according to the site.
As the Biden campaign extends its fundraising lead over Trump’s political operation, the GOP nominee said he “might” invest his own money in the race. He did not do so in 2020.
Trump also has just days to post a $175 million appeal bond to prevent the state of New York from collecting a $454 million civil fraud judgment against him. He has already posted $91.6 million bail as he appeals a separate civil case in which he was convicted of defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
Trump also faces 91 criminal charges in four separate courts, with his first trial set for April 15. Trump has spent more than $100 million on legal fees since leaving office in 2021, although none of it comes from his own pocket, according to The New York Times.
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