It was still December when former US President Donald Trump arrived in Naples, Florida on a private jet of questionable interests, his ardent supporters waiting in the shower stall in Christmas decor – He writes for the New York Times. That in and of itself wouldn’t be newsworthy, except that the participants in an event similar in all respects to very usual campaign events in America paid huge sums, $10-30,000, to celebrate and take pictures alongside Donald Trump. Yes, we almost forgot the point: the proceeds from this did not go for political purposes, but the opportunities are at least partially in the pocket of the former president – although it is also true that the charity also came from the proceeds.
Since not spending his day in the White House, Donald Trump has become very active when it comes to similar projects: he’s become increasingly adept at how to monetize political fame and a camp of dedicated fans. He toured with former Fox presenter Bill O’Reilly, behind the scenes VIP tickets cost $7,500, published a book that paid millions in down payments, and turned Trump’s online store into a massive MAGA that also sent promotional materials to his supporters for the 2020 election campaign.
The online store now sells Make America Great Again hats, among other things (for $50 each), in several editions, but the former president’s books are also available if the customer desires them. The brand also has more significant achievements from the dubious social media site Truth Social, which has now been called into question and is now available on the Apple App Store.
Part of the TRUM Store MAGA collection
However, there are also projects more related to offering a “Trump sense of life,” such as the renovated luxury bar in the Trump Tower skyscraper, where visitors can sip cocktails worth up to $45 while sitting on velvet chairs surrounded by ex-connoisseurs. President photos.
Back to the assets
It is no surprise that even with Trump’s predecessors, he manages his presidential “retirement years” with resounding success. Donald, who has progressed from businessman to politician, has always been adept at using fame, only to reconsider the search for a new intern (with a salary of $250,000) on the highly successful TV show “The Apprentice” in the US, to ensure celebrity status once and for all. In addition to business success.
The popularity he gained as a tough and assertive businessman with the series helped him early in his political career, but now the opposite is true – Donald Trump is counting on his presidential fan base to donate hundreds of millions of money to build the new. Business.
The fact that a former US president is embarking on a more business trip alone is nothing new: Barack and Michelle Obama, for example, cut $65 million through a joint book, while Bill and Hillary Clinton together hacked more than $150 million by 2015.
blurred boundaries
But just as much and as much as Donald Trump has, no former president has ever made it back into the business world, and Trump seems intent on muddying that world with his political career as well. However, it should be noted that the amounts received from the MAGA business are negligible compared to real estate transactions conducted by the Trump Operations Group – at least Eric Trump, the son of the former president, and the company’s vice president reported it. in an interview.
So it seems difficult to separate the line between business interests and political careers in Donald Trump’s daily life, and this raises unprecedented ethical issues, according to Lawrence M. Noble, a former adviser to the Federal Election Commission.
It seems that the question “How can I make money from this?” Always a factor when it comes to Trump
The expert said, there are examples. A $22 Trump picture book purchased on television by a political organization affiliated with Donald Trump was advertised in what appeared to be a campaign event in 2022, and voters who previously provided political support for the book were also promoted, showing advertised real estate.
Not a problem now, but what does the future hold?
The fact that Trump is earning money from the afterlife for his presidency is not a problem in itself, since he currently does not hold any political office in the United States, but we should not forget that even as president in office he is. It had the same effect, which is worrying, it made political influence partly available to the lobbyists of the largest corporations.
Sure, Donald Trump’s job currently has a bit of an official brake, but if he goes to the presidency again in 2024 (and chances are pretty good, especially since Republicans aren’t able to nominate a healthy candidate), the scandal now taking place may be inflated once again. other.
