Donald Trump touted the release of “digital trading cards” with his likeness on Thursday after teasing a “major announcement” earlier this week. The digital cards or NFTs (non-fungible tokens aka digital artwork that can be traded and logged online) cost a steep $100 a pop — and in this economy, no less!
But it might be the price you’re willing to pay to lay claim to a “limited edition” JPG of the former president rendered as a superhero with bulging leg muscles. Or dressed as a cowboy. Or shooting laser beams out of his eyes in front of Trump Tower. Or pumping his fists in front of a green stock market arrow. Each card has a unique “pre-assigned rarity”, but no card “will have more than 20 copies in existence”, according to real website collecttrumpcards.com. The site says it will mint 45,000 cards with unique identifiers recorded on the blockchain.
The cards aren’t related to Trump’s third campaign for the White House or any of his companies. It appears that Trump licensed his name and likeness to a third party, which he’s done for any number of products, including steaks and menswear. “NFT INT LLC is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Digital LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates. NFT INT LLC uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Digital LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms,” reads the fine print. The site also warns consumers that Trump cards are not intended as an “investment vehicle”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the cards “very much like baseball cards, but hopefully much more exciting”.
The excitement may be in the fact that purchasing a Trump card automatically enters you into a sweepstakes to meet Trump for a cocktail hour or round of golf at his Florida estate. Buying 45 cards — essentially forking over $4,500 — gets you invited to a “gala dinner” with Trump somewhere in “South Florida”. But as the fine print notes, you are responsible for your own lodging and transportation to and from the event. What a steal!
It’s not clear why Trump, who hasn’t been doing much campaigning for president yet, has resorted to selling non-fungible tokens. The NFT market has been plunging alongside the cryptocurrency market, capping off a bad year for both fake and real money.
But it might be the price you’re willing to pay to lay claim to a “limited edition” JPG of the former president rendered as a superhero with bulging leg muscles. Or dressed as a cowboy. Or shooting laser beams out of his eyes in front of Trump Tower. Or pumping his fists in front of a green stock market arrow. Each card has a unique “pre-assigned rarity”, but no card “will have more than 20 copies in existence”, according to real website collecttrumpcards.com. The site says it will mint 45,000 cards with unique identifiers recorded on the blockchain.
The cards aren’t related to Trump’s third campaign for the White House or any of his companies. It appears that Trump licensed his name and likeness to a third party, which he’s done for any number of products, including steaks and menswear. “NFT INT LLC is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Digital LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates. NFT INT LLC uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Digital LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms,” reads the fine print. The site also warns consumers that Trump cards are not intended as an “investment vehicle”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the cards “very much like baseball cards, but hopefully much more exciting”.
The excitement may be in the fact that purchasing a Trump card automatically enters you into a sweepstakes to meet Trump for a cocktail hour or round of golf at his Florida estate. Buying 45 cards — essentially forking over $4,500 — gets you invited to a “gala dinner” with Trump somewhere in “South Florida”. But as the fine print notes, you are responsible for your own lodging and transportation to and from the event. What a steal!
It’s not clear why Trump, who hasn’t been doing much campaigning for president yet, has resorted to selling non-fungible tokens. The NFT market has been plunging alongside the cryptocurrency market, capping off a bad year for both fake and real money.
