In February 2016, Sen. 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 exchange during a televised debate in which Rubio declared, while pointing to the future president, “Here’s the guy that inherited $200 million. If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where he’d be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan.”
More than eight years later, the line is relevant anew. NBC News reported:
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday promoted watches branded with his name, his latest involvement in a series of business endeavors as he simultaneously campaigns for the White House. ‘You’re going to love them. Would make a great Christmas Gift,’ Trump said in a Truth Social post linking to the vendor website.”
In the same video, released with just 40 days remaining before Election Day, the Republican nominee added, in reference to the watch collection, “I love gold. I love diamonds. We all do.”
Here is the Grifter King with his latest scam, watches for $100,000 each. pic.twitter.com/2pD6ZjvMV1
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 26, 2024
The prices vary, though as NBC News’ report added, “Some of the most expensive watches listed on the website go for $100,000.”
That’s not a typo. We’re talking about watches that sell 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 to champion the interests of working families. On the other hand, the Republican filmed a cartoonish video at his glorified country club, boasting 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.
In case this weren’t quite enough, those who follow the link to the merchandising website will find a Frequently Asked Questions section, which lets visitors know, “The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the final product.”
The same FAQ lets visitors know, “There are no refunds.”
Some might see all of this and think that some candidates have no choice but to pursue outlandish fundraising gambits during a campaign, especially when their rivals are outpacing them. But this new merchandising opportunity is wholly unrelated to the GOP candidate’s 2024 political operation.
As Election Day nears, Trump isn’t trying to put money in his campaign coffers; he’s trying to put money in his own pocket.
As regular readers know, Americans have never seen anything like this. A Washington Post report added earlier this month, “No presidential candidate has ever so closely linked his election with personal for-profit enterprises, selling a staggering array of merchandise.” The article quoted Don Fox, former general counsel for the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who said, “There’s no precedent in history at all, and certainly not in modern history, for somebody who has monetized the office or running for office of president the way he has.” Complicating matters is the staggering variety of items. The watch collection comes just days after the Republican unveiled silver Trump commemorative coins, which came just days after the GOP nominee launched a new family cryptocurrency project — the details of which he did not appear to understand — while partnering with two little-known crypto entrepreneurs, one of whom has described himself as “the dirtbag of the internet.” (The other taught classes on how to seduce women.) The silver coin and crypto gambits — two ventures that would appear to contradict each other — came on the heels of Trump selling batches of digital trading cards. And the gold sneakers. And the Trump-endorsed Bible. And degrees from his fake university. And the board game. And the steaks. It’s not a secret that Trump’s finances are a bit of a mess. As a Washington Post analysis summarized, the Republican “is in a cash crunch — personally and politically — and has been unafraid throughout his career to put the Trump name on anything that might yield a stream of revenue.” But that desperation has turned the former president into a two-bit carnival huckster on the eve of one of the most important elections in American history. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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