Former President Donald Trump’s mugshot, taken during his arrest on multiple felony charges, has become a hot commodity for both supporters and critics. The photo, featuring Trump with his signature red tie, styled hair, and a stern expression, has been turned into various merchandise items such as t-shirts, shot glasses, mugs, posters, and bobblehead dolls.
Supporters and campaign managers have embraced the image as they rally around Trump’s claims that the charges against him are politically motivated. On the other hand, critics see the photo as a symbol that Trump’s legal troubles have finally caught up to him.
Trump’s Save America fundraising committee has capitalized on the mugshot by selling “NEVER SURRENDER!” t-shirts, beverage holders, and coffee mugs. Trump’s son, Don Jr., is also marketing “FREE TRUMP” t-shirts and posters featuring the mugshot. Anti-Trump group, the Lincoln Project, is selling shot glasses with the mugshot and the phrase “FAFO” (an acronym for “Fuck Around and Find Out”), a rallying cry among Trump critics. The crafts website, Etsy, also features various mocking products inspired by the mugshot.
Even independent retailers are cashing in on the mugshot craze. A t-shirt store in Los Angeles has already started selling tops adorned with the image. Shoppers, like CJ Butler from Atlanta, Georgia, view it as “classic consumerism” stating, “Hey, it’s Trump. He sells everything, so why not have a t-shirt?”
Political strategists predict that the mugshot merchandise could be a significant fundraiser for Trump’s campaign. His loyal supporters are expected to purchase the items to show their support, contributing to his campaign’s funds. David Kochel, a veteran Republican presidential campaign operative, remarked, “It’s kind of sad at the end of the day that the campaign is going to celebrate his indictment over 13 criminal charges – but that’s where our politics is.”
Trump has been leveraging his legal battles to rally support from his base for months. His fundraising groups have invested millions of dollars in merchandise operations since 2015. Campaign manager Chris LaCivita stated that they have been focusing on turning the indictments into a positive, “making lemonade at every opportunity.”
The legality of reproducing Trump’s mugshot is unclear. While mug shots taken by US federal courts are generally in the public domain, Georgia’s state policy may differ. Additionally, many states have “right of publicity” laws that prevent the use of a person’s image in commerce without their consent. Federal trademark law and other state laws could also come into play.
Attorneys suggest that political parody goods may receive some protection from intellectual-property claims under the US Constitution. Nevertheless, whether Trump would actually sue is more of a strategic question than a legal one, given his polarizing image and the plethora of merchandise featuring his likeness already in the market.
In an interview, Trump told Fox News Digital that he reluctantly posed for the mugshot because Georgia officials insisted, stating, “It is not a comfortable feeling – especially when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, challenged Trump’s campaign to sue him over the mugshot merchandise. He acknowledged that both Trump’s supporters and opponents see the image as powerful.
The mugshot’s popularity highlights the intense polarization surrounding Trump and reflects the commercial aspects of American consumerism tied to political figures.