Trump’s NFT Trading Card Collection Draws Ridicule, Sells Out
As Donald Trump shared that he was making a “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT” on his social media platform, Truth Social on Tuesday morning, speculation swirled about a potential presidential campaign-related announcement amid waning support for the former president.
On Wednesday morning, Trump announced an “Official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card Collection” in the form of NFTs.
“Collect all your favorite Trump Digital Trading Cards, very much like a baseball card, but hopefully a lot more exciting,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Only $99 each!”
What are NFTs and what is Trump’s collection?
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets that are tied to their owner. Through cryptocurrency technology and clever programming tricks, each NFT is unique and in turn has its own value, usually determined by demand from potential buyers.
As of Friday morning, the site where you can buy the NFTs says the collection is sold out. The site says 45,000 NFTs were created, of which 44,000 were available for $99 each. The NFTs are now selling for at least around $200 on OpenSea, an NFT exchange site.
What is an NFT?:Here’s how it works, what you should know about the NFT market and future value.
“Better than Lincoln, better than Washington,” Trump said of the presidency in a video announcement of the NFT gathering. “These cards feature some of the truly incredible artwork that pertains to my life and career, it’s been really exciting.”
The digital trading cards show Trump in various outfits and extravagant settings. One NFT has Trump shooting laser beams out of his eyes in front of Trump Tower, while another has Trump pumping his fist while riding an elephant.
“Remember, Christmas is coming and this is a great Christmas present,” Trump said.
Eroding support for Trump
Trump’s announcement teased speculation that it was related to his 2024 re-election bid. Trump has seen his support slip among Republican allies and supporters for disappointing GOP midterm results and dining with a Holocaust denier.
An exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that only 31% of GOP and GOP-leaning voters wanted to see Trump run for re-election.
When it came to another presidential candidate, the poll found those voters overwhelmingly prefer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump by 56% to 33%.
Related:These charts show how Trump’s 2024 bid is losing momentum
Announcement invites ridicule
Trump’s announcement has drawn criticism and ridicule from both his frequent opponents and allies, especially after the collapse of FTX, a major cryptocurrency exchange, has drawn intense scrutiny.
FTX founder arrested in Bahamas:How Sam Bankman-Fried’s alleged scheme unraveled
President Joe Biden mocked Trump and tweeted his own “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS” touting the administration’s recent string of successes, such as codifying same-sex marriage into law.
Former White House strategist and Trump adviser Steve Bannon reacted to the announcement on his “War Room” podcast, saying “I can’t do this. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Who, what business partner, and whoever on the communications team, and whoever at Mar-a-Lago, and I love the people down there, but we’re at war. They should be fired today, Bannon said.
_id_b32fb481-53b2-43f3-b9be-7ec7ef356fd6_size900.jpg "US Prosecutors Charge New Suspect in Million Blockchain Scam ‘CoinDeal’")
