President Donald said Trump sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, grifters and opportunists are already trying to cash in on Trump’s new era—including the president himself.
Just a few days before he took office, Trump launches memecoin called on $TRUMP to “celebrate our victory and have fun,” warning that it was “not intended to be … an investment opportunity.” Trump announced the launch of X and Truth Social, which many wondered if the president’s accounts hacked.
However, within hours, thousands invested in the cryptocurrency. The sale was very successful that, in billions of dollars, it amounted to almost 90 percent of Trump’s total wealth. However, like many memecoins, the price of the $TRUMP coin fluctuated and fell sharply on Sunday, with the price decline continuing into Monday.
By the time he was sworn in as president on Monday, $TRUMP memecoin is worth just shy of $50 billion, with Trump holding 80 percent of the coins. The coin, built on the Solana blockchain, allows anyone anywhere in the world to funnel money directly to the US president.
First Lady Melania Trump also launched her own memecoin on Sunday, and while it hasn’t reached the level of Trump’s memecoin, the $MELANIA coin worth nearly $8 billion as of Monday.
The president and first lady are far from those looking to cash in on the buzz of Trump’s second term, and the inauguration weekend. Since his first term in office, Trump has been a magnet for all kinds of grifts and cash grabs, many of which have been endorsed by the president himself, and include everything from guitars and shoes to trading cards and coins. .
Religion is also on the table. Lee Greenwood, a country singer, said on Sunday that Trump could use a special edition of the “God Bless The USA” bible because of his oath—the same bible that the singer has been selling with Trump since March.
The “Inauguration Day Edition Bible” went on sale on Greenwood’s own website—along with hot pink and camo versions of the bible—for $70 last week, but as Trump took office on Monday, the bible appears to have sold out.
A raft of other commemorative items are on sale, from dozens of “Inauguration Day” t-shirts and hats sold on platforms like Amazon and Etsy to a special “Inauguration Edition” which is roasted from Victory Coffee. A Texas-based jeweler even offered to give the president an 8-carat diamond in the shape of his head in what appeared to be a marketing bid.
And since Trump’s inauguration was moved indoors due to extreme cold weather, tens of thousands of people who were sent tickets to attend the event were unable to use them. People tried to cash in on the tickets, with several eBay listings offering unused tickets for up to $200 each. The tickets are distributed free of charge to members of the House of Representatives and have a hologram and the signature of the representative whose office issued them. Many of the listings are already sold out, with some sellers offering multiple tickets.
A dedicated website offering commemorative inaugural tickets has also been set up, with some tickets being offered for as little as $900. It’s unclear who is behind the page, but the site is ranked as the second result in a Google search for “inauguration celebration tickets.”
sulking and taking money in Trumpworld is nothing new. Since Trump took office in 2016, he and his sycophantic supporters have adopted many different schemes. With Trump’s support, many figures have made entire careers topics like stolen elections or Denial of COVID.