Donald Trump Finds New Way to Profit Off Legal Troubles with “Mugshot” NFT Drop

Former President Donald Trump is no stranger to stirring up controversy, and his latest foray into NFTs is no exception. Dubbed the “Mugshot Edition,” Trump’s new $99 digital trading cards play on his recent legal troubles, specifically the mugshot taken when he was indicted in Georgia in August 2022.

Keypoints

• Former President Trump is selling new “Mugshot Edition” NFT trading cards for $99 each
• Buying 47 cards ($4,653 worth) enters buyers into a raffle to have dinner with Trump and receive a physical card with a piece of the suit he wore for his mugshot
• Previous Trump NFT drops have offered chances to meet with him as incentives
• Trading volume for Trump’s previous NFT drop spiked over 200% amid the new offering
• In total 2,024 physical cards with pieces of the mugshot suit are being offered

This marks the third NFT collection Trump has released after debuting his self-styled “Trump Digital Collectible Cards” series in 2021 and 2022. While not owning the NFT company selling them, Trump licenses his name and image to the cards. Previous drops have enticed buyers with opportunities to potentially video chat with Trump or attend events at Mar-a-Lago.

The hooks for the mugshot NFTs are perhaps Trump’s boldest yet, offering select buyers not just access to the man himself, but literal pieces of memorabilia from his arrest warrant and indictment on charges of racketeering and false election tampering statements. Specifically, purchasing 47 or more NFTs enters buyers into a raffle to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Trump along with receiving a physical trading card with part of the suit he wore during his mugshots.

https://t.co/0TJzDIcOBP

Watch This Video: Don’t Miss Out! pic.twitter.com/vunSPlEY6Z

— CollectTrumpCards (@CollectTrump) December 12, 2023

According to the promotional website, 2,024 physical cards embedded with fabric fragments will be produced. Super-collectors can up their chances as well; buying 100 NFTs gains entry to a pre-dinner reception with Trump, while over 100 cards earns collectors another physical card with a piece of Trump’s mugshot tie.

Unique “one-of-one” cards and even hand-signed ones are touted as part of the collection too.

The hype quickly impacted existing Trump NFT prices. His previous card series saw trading volumes spike over 200% in the last 24 hours upon news of the mugshot drop. Prices on earlier cards slumped nearly in half momentarily before rebounding.

In touting the new digital collectibles, the website calls Trump’s mugshot attire “the most historically significant artifact in United States history.” Playing into the former president’s refusal to concede accusations against him, it also describes the mugshot itself as encapsulating Trump’s “determined gaze, symbolizing his refusal to surrender” against alleged attempts from enemies to take him down illegally.

Launching alongside Trump’s third bid for the U.S. presidency in 2024, the new NFTs seemingly look to capitalize on supporter sentiment and the ongoing media spectacle around legal probes Trump faces. Alongside racketeering charges in Georgia, he faces dozens of other lawsuits and investigations for financial misconduct and election interference in states like New York, Washington D.C. and now special counsel Jack Smith’s recent federal inquiry.

Trump also notably criticized cryptocurrencies as facilitating “unlawful behavior” in a 2021 statement. Yet licensing his image and name has proved lucrative, with government ethics documents showing he has earned millions from the endeavor along with holding crypto assets directly.

The mugshot NFTs continue Trump’s forays into finding new revenue streams through his fame and status as a divisive public figure, be it in politics or his array of businesses. And the initial market response shows an enduring willingness amongst his base to literally buy into the messaging and mystique.