Many have called it the mugshot heard (or seen) around the world.
And it continues to reverberate.
The Trump campaign is not only creating lemonade from the lemons they were dealt, but also lemon champagne concoctions.
A watermarked image and allotted number, P01135809, have campaign fundraisers hauling in cash for the former president’s campaign, demonstrating once again that his Midas touch has not faded.
https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/Mcbf2xozsY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2023
Trump is already using his image as a symbol of defiance against corruption and tyranny in his campaign.
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 about 90 minutes of his release from an Atlanta jail, the Trump campaign began selling merchandise bearing his photograph. According to Mediaite, the collection included T-shirts, mugs, koozies, and bumper decals, with prices reaching up to $34 for a garment.
A coffee mug bearing the image is available to supporters for $25, while a set of two koozies bearing the image costs $15. Four-by-four-inch bumper decals featuring the image are available for $12, allowing drivers to publicly express 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
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 adapted the mug photo motif as a fundraising strategy, offering T-shirts for a $47 contribution.
The campaign’s email to supporters urged recipients to donate $47 to demonstrate their commitment to Trump’s cause.
In exchange for their contributions, donors would receive a complimentary T-shirt with an official print of Trump’s mugshot.
Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of the former president, explained on Newsmax how poorly the left miscalculated the publication of the photo, 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
Trump will once again turn the tables on the left.
Already, the image that the left insisted upon has become a conservative icon that will torment them for years to come.
As columnist Jonathan Turley put it, Trump’s adversaries, who had hoped to launch a thousand ships with that visage, are now observing with open mouths as those ships load up with treasure and sail directly into Trump’s port.