Many have called it the mugshot heard (or seen) around the world.
And it is still reverberating.
The Trump campaign isn’t just making lemonade out of the lemons they were dealt — they’re making lemon champagne cocktails.
A watermarked picture and assigned number, P01135809, have campaign fundraisers raking in the moolah for the former president’s campaign, proving again his Midas touch has not left him.
https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/Mcbf2xozsY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2023
Trump is already campaigning off the image that has become a symbol of defiance against corruption and tyranny.
An NBC columnist wrote that former President Donald Trump’s allies saw the picture “not as a liability but as an asset, the kind of rallying cry that will help Trump lock up his party’s support and recapture the White House.”
Within approximately 90 minutes of his release from an Atlanta jail, the Trump campaign began to make merchandise of the mugshot available for sale. The collection included T-shirts, mugs, koozies, and bumper stickers, with prices ranging up to $34 for a shirt, according to Mediaite.
For $25, supporters can get a coffee mug adorned with the image, while a set of two koozies displaying the mug shot are priced at $15. Bumper stickers, measuring 4 by 4 inches and showcasing the photo, are available for $12, allowing drivers to publicly declare their support for Trump.
Trump Never Surrender Store T shirts, Coffee Mug, Hat, Signed Poster, Beverage Coolerhttps://t.co/T0mLoeB7aw
— Trump 2024 Merchandise (@trump2024office) August 26, 2023
Will you buy Trump mug shot merchandise?
Each item displayed Trump’s mug shot alongside his historic phrase, “NEVER SURRENDER!”
In addition to direct sales, the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee adopted the mug shot motif as a fundraising strategy, offering a T-shirt in exchange for a $47 donation.
The campaign’s email to supporters encouraged recipients to contribute $47 to demonstrate their dedication to Trump’s mission.
In return, donors would receive a free T-shirt featuring an official print of Trump’s mug shot.
The former president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, explained how badly the left miscalculated the release of the photo on Newsmax, as reported by Red State:
“I think it’s going to backfire on them, just like everything else does,” she said. “It’s going to be on posters and people’s dorm rooms. It’s going to be on T-shirts. It is going to be a flag flown by people who love this country because they’re backing Donald Trump.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins & Sara Murray whine Trump will use his mugshot to raise money for his campaign and wonder if it’s a good idea for him to be given one. pic.twitter.com/2xTGYQpgFc
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) August 24, 2023
Trust Trump to turn the tables on the left again.
The image the left insisted on has already become an iconic conservative symbol that will haunt them for years to come.
Trump’s enemies, who, as columnist Jonathan Turley put it, had been hoping to launch a thousand ships with that face, are now watching with open mouths as those ships load up treasure and sail right into Trump’s port.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
