Trump’s ‘Major Announcement’ Was a Scammy, Superhero-Themed NFT Collection
The Rolling Stone reports Trump’s ‘Major Announcement’ Was a Scammy, Superhero-Themed NFT Collection
DONALD TRUMP EARLIER this week on Truth Social teased that he’d be making a “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT” on Thursday, prompting questions as to what on Earth the former president was up to. Is it a rally tour? Is it his candidacy for House speaker? Is it something dumber and more pathetic than anyone could have anticipated? Yes, of course it was. It’s a Donald Trump Digital Trading Card NFT Collection.
Die-hard fans of Trump who purchase 45 of these cards (that’s at least $4,455 worth of Trump NFTs) will be gifted a ticket to a dinner with the former president, according to the site. Less die-hard fans will be entered into “The Trump Sweepstakes,” where they can win one of “thousands” of prizes, including a one-hour golf game with Trump, autographed memorabilia, and a group zoom call. (It’s probably worth noting that Trump has a rich history of teasing similar giveaways in exchange for donations but apparently never following through on honoring them.)
The Donald Trump Digital Trading Card Collection will produce a “maximum of 45,000 NFTs” throughout its sweepstakes period. Worried someone else might have the same “Trump Ripping Off His Work Suit To Reveal His Superhero Suit While Shooting Laser Beams His Eyes” card as you? Fret not, these cards have assigned “rarity,” meaning they will absolutely, definitely, for sure increase in value. No, there are no refunds. What are you a lib?
Trump NFT Collection
When I first saw a Tweet of this, I thought it was a joke. Well, it isn’t.
How’s it going?
Where Does the Money Go?
The New York Times explains
In his first significant public move since opening his 2024 presidential campaign last month, Mr. Trump announced an online store to sell $99 digital trading cards of himself as a superhero, an astronaut, an Old West sheriff and a series of other fantastical figures. He made his pitch in a brief, direct-to-camera video in which he audaciously declared that his four years in the White House were “better than Lincoln, better than Washington.”
Money from sales of the digital trading cards, which depict the former president as characters like a superhero and a “Top Gun”-style fighter pilot, will go directly to him instead of his 2024 campaign.
Let that sink in.
Is Trump even running or is he just bilking suckers?
Watch This Video
Bear in mind the Hodgetwins are Trump supporters, or at least were.
The video is a real hoot.
Trump kicks off with “Hello everyone. This is Donald Trump, hopefully your favorite president of all time, better than Lincoln, better than Washington, with an important announcement to make.”
Where Did the Images Come From?
Excellent question. I’m glad you asked.
Gizmodo explains Trump’s Badly Photoshopped NFTs Appear to Use Photos From Small Clothing Brands
The images were so lazy that based on reverse image searches they were edited photos scraped off the internet. It’s unclear if they were edited by hand or perhaps crafted using AI image generation, though the one image of Trump in hunter garb bears a very distinct resemblance to waders crafted by Banded, a hunting apparel company.
Fake Trump Hunting
Trump the Sheriff
Who’s Behind This?
That’s another excellent question and there are answers, sort of.
And while your first assumption would be that all this money would go toward supporting Trump’s reelection campaign, you would be wrong, at least according to the company’s page. NFT INT LLC, the company listed as hosting the NFT auction, wrote:
“These Digital Trading Cards are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign. 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.”
Things get even stranger when looking at the company that’s running the auction. The company, NFT INT LLC, lists its address to a kitschy strip mall in Utah that contains a few shops and restaurants, a dry cleaners, as well as a UPS store. As Gizmodo has previously reported, companies affiliated with attempts to buy Trump’s favored social media platform Truth Social have had similar arrangements by being based out of a UPS Store mailbox.
It’s even more unclear who is operating behind the scenes. Gizmodo found two companies called NFT INT registered in California and in Delaware, which, of course, neither are located in Utah. We reached out to the individual listed as the CEO of the California-registered NFT INT LLC who told us their company was not affiliated with this project.
The Salt Lake Tribune’s report on the NFTs confirmed the strangeness surrounding the UPS Store mailbox. The Tribune also noted that while the Twitter account for the NFT project lists Florida as its business residence, there are 20 businesses in Florida listing the Utah UPS mailbox as their residence.
Truly Bizarre
This is not only truly bizarre, it clearly shows extreme case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
- Inflated Ego.
- Lack of Empathy.
- Need for Attention.
- Repressed Insecurities.
- Few Boundaries.
If Trump lifted copyrighted images for advertising purposes, he can be in serious trouble.
Oh well, I am sure Trump didn’t do it. It was one of those 20 Florida businesses residing at the same UPS post office box in Utah.
Anyway, it’s Friday and I thought you might need a laugh for the weekend, also some tips on self-promotion.
This post originated at MishTalk.Com
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$5,000 and $10,000, counting the cut to the company that sold them the
dinars. Two of her adult children have bought millions more dinars, too.
Today there is no political thinking, no ideas, good or bad. Only images which enable fighting between two childish groups. “My toy is good, yours bad”
Max purchase 100?Funny that totals out to $9900 or just under the $10k threshold that would draw additional scrutiny.NFT’s are absolutely unlimited in creation. Sold out? Anyone that believes that really likes the wool over their eyes
I was reading a little Nietzsche, would be nice if he would have left his ego out just a tad so that people could stand to read it, but this was just a translation, so I didn’t have to go through 20 dictionaries to find out what he just said. Anyway, it was called””Fragment of a Greek Letter”. Talked about how people felt they were property of any old jerk that stole their land and charged them money to live on it. I never figured that out myself, but I’m just so glad they ended slavery here. That way we ain’t gotta be property anymore, so I can rest easy.