Former President Trump Embraces NFT Trend with Mugshot Edition

By: Isha Das

Former United States President, Donald Trump, has recently made an announcement regarding his latest venture into the realm of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). His new series, inspired by his recent arrest, features 47 digital collectibles, each priced at $99. The trading cards showcase Trump's mugshot from his arrest in the summer of 2023. The arrest followed charges against him under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act on allegations related to the 2020 Presidential Election results in Georgia.

For those who purchase the complete set of 47 cards, additional rewards are offered including a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, and pieces of the cloth from the suit worn by Trump during his arrest. There is also a limited offer for 100 Trump digital trading cards which provide varying levels of access to a dinner hosted by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

However, there has been significant controversy surrounding Trump's NFT collection. Initial demand following Trump's indictment and arrest was high, yet they have seen considerable losses in value over time, especially surrounding the launch of the second series. Criticism extends to plagiarism allegations on card designs and backlash against the general NFT trend. Nonetheless, Trump vouched for the quality of the art in the cards.

Despite claims that Trump does not 'own, manage or control' the collection, getting involved in the project has reportedly earned him profits of around $4.6 million.