In February 2016, Senator Marco Rubio and Donald Trump were rivals for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, and the Florida senator was still desperately trying to convince voters that the former television personality was an untrustworthy “con man.”
It led to an altercation during a televised debate in which Rubio, pointing to the future president, declared: “Here’s the man who inherited $200 million.” If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, do you know where he would be now? Selling watches in Manhattan.”
More than eight years later, the line is relevant again. NBC News reported:
Former President Donald Trump promoted watches bearing his name on Thursday, his latest involvement in a series of business endeavors while simultaneously campaigning for the White House. “You’re going to love them. Would make a great Christmas gift,” Trump said in a Truth Social post with a link to the supplier’s website.”
In the same video, released with just 40 days to go before Election Day, the Republican candidate, referring to the watch collection, added: “I love gold. I like diamonds. We all do that.”
Prices vary, but as the NBC News report added, “Some of the most expensive watches listed on the website cost $100,000.”
That’s not a typo. We are talking about watches that selling for six figures.
And it’s that detail that makes Trump’s latest merchandising opportunity more ridiculous than most. On the one hand, the former president occasionally likes to pretend that he is standing up for the interests of working families. On the other hand, the Republican filmed a cartoonish video at his glorified country club, bragging about his love of gold and diamonds while urging people to check out a watch collection — some of which cost far more than the average American’s annual income.
If this isn’t enough, those who follow the link to the merchandising website will find a frequently asked questions section, so visitors know“The images shown are for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the final product.”
The same FAQ informs visitors: “There are no refunds.”
Some may see all this and think that some candidates have no choice but to pursue outlandish fundraising efforts during a campaign, especially when their rivals are outpacing them. But this new merchandising opportunity is entirely separate from the Republican candidate’s 2024 political operation.
As Election Day approaches, Trump isn’t trying to put money into his campaign coffers; he tries to put money in his own pocket.
As regular readers know, Americans have never seen anything like it. A Washington Post report added earlier this month: “No presidential candidate has ever tied his election so closely to for-profit personal ventures, which sold a dizzying array of merchandise.”
The article quoted Don Fox, former general counsel of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, as saying, “There is no precedent at all in history, and certainly not in modern history, for someone to have made money from office or run for office.” proposes the office of President of the United States. as he did.”
Complicating matters is the dizzying variety of items. The watch collection comes just days after the Republican unveiled the silver Trump commemorative coins, which came just days after the GOP nominee launched a new family cryptocurrency project — the details of which he didn’t seem to understand — in partnership with two little-known crypto entrepreneurs. , one of whom has described himself as “the dirtbag of the internet.” (The others taught classes on seducing women.)
The silver coin and crypto gambits – two ventures that appear to contradict each other – followed Trump’s sale of batches of digital trading cards. And the gold sneakers. And the Bible approved by Trump. And degrees from his fake university. And the board game. And the steaks.
It’s no secret that Trump’s finances are a bit of a mess. As a Washington Post analysis summarized, the Republican “is in financial crisis — both personal and political — and throughout his career has not been afraid to slap the Trump name on anything that could generate a revenue stream.”
But that desperation has turned the former president into a carnival crasher on the eve of one of the most important elections in American history.
This message updates our related previous reporting.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
