WASHINGTON: Election products have been a part of US presidential polls for quite some time now and the upcoming November showdown between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, who built on his father's real estate empire and turned the family's millions into billions, has stuck to real estate deals, selling everything from steaks and “Trump University” courses to shares in his own media company, best known for the Truth Social platform, in the past.
However, it hasn't all been a bed of roses: Trump Media and Technology Group's stock has plummeted in recent months, Trump steaks were discontinued two months after their launch, and Trump University was sued for defrauding its students.
However, this has not stopped the candidate, who is currently offering a number of items for sale centered on his image, some of which are unusual, to say the least.
'Bibles to make America pray again'
Though rarely seen in church, Trump says the Bible is his “favorite book,” and around Easter the former president began selling the sacred text for $59.99 online.
“We must make America pray again,” he says in a video promoting the Bibles, a nod to his “Make America Great Again” political movement.
Trump has made no secret of his appeals to evangelicals in the United States, where the religious right forms a central part of the Republican base.
He is distributing the Bibles in collaboration with renowned conservative musician Lee Greenwood, whose hit “God Bless the USA” is part of the soundtrack of every Trump rally.
'Fight' sneakers
For $299, Trump supporters can also purchase a pair of sneakers commemorating the assassination attempt that nearly cost him his life.
The high-top white sneakers, topped with an American flag, feature the famous photo of the 78-year-old with his bleeding ear and raised fist, moments after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania protest in July.
The Secret Service agents who protected him and rushed him to safety are not pictured.
Across the soles, in blue block letters, are the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”, evoking what Trump shouted as officers rushed him off the rally stage.
The words have become a rallying cry for his supporters.
Pieces of debate suit
This summer, Trump also began handing out small pieces of the suit he wore during his televised debate with President Joe Biden in June — an encounter so disastrous for the Democrat that he dropped out of the race days later in favor of Vice President Harris.
For $1,485, buyers can own “a tangible piece of presidential history,” the website boasts, offering fabric scraps attached to trading cards.
“This is something you should give to your family, to your children, to your grandchildren,” Trump said in a video.
Trump coins
This weekend, Trump announced the sale of silver coins bearing his image, which will be available for purchase starting Wednesday.
The coins, priced at $100 each, are a “true symbol of American greatness,” the former president said in a social media post.
Heads, of course, is the image of the 45th president, while tails is the image of the White House surrounded by the motto that appears on official U.S. currency: “In God We Trust.”
Coins are not legal tender and cannot be used as payment.
“I've seen a lot of coins out there that use my beautiful face. […] But they are not the official currency,” Trump jokes.
It's not Trump's only foray into the world of currencies: he and his sons also launched World Liberty Financial, a new cryptocurrency aimed at making the United States the “crypto capital of the world.”
Like the Bibles, sneakers and suit fragments, the coins are not intended to raise funds for his campaign.
The websites selling the items say they are using “the name, likeness and image of Donald J. Trump under paid license.”
