Four-hundred-sixty-two days and change remain until the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and while the Democratic Party looks to thin its quite crowded field, no mystery exists as to who will represent the Republican side. Donald Trump will look to remain the nation’s 45th president, and as he begins his election campaign in earnest, it appears he has his next piece of hit fundraising merch: “Trump Straws.”
Almost a half million dollars in straw sales! Wow.
Get your recyclable @realDonaldTrump straws today.
Can’t wait to see the pictures of Trump supporters drinking with them!#MakingStrawsGreatAgainhttps://t.co/2jJT3e2oJc
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) July 26, 2019
At a time when candidates and officeholders have their election campaigns scrutinized with the strength of a thousand suns, this latest effort by the incumbent leader to retain power will certainly meet the ire of many. That’s because it represents a direct attempt to bend out of shape those who consider plastic straws environmental nuisances. Never one to back down from a fight, President Trump, through the efforts of campaign manager Brad Parscale, is offering Trump Straws through his campaign store website, with the direct rebuttal to the growing infatuation with paper straws proving a massive hit so far.
Talking Points Memo noted that the goods, which run $15 for a 10-pack, have thus brought in $456,000 in only 10 days. Each straw is laser engraved with the Trump campaign logo and made in the USA, and the straws are listed as “reusable and recyclable.” As what campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh described to RealClearPolitics as a swipe at “political correctness and dictating how people live their daily lives,” the Trump Straws make perfect sense as a product that the never-afraid-to-speak-his-mind commander in chief intends to bank on to roil his adversaries.
Along with that and with the benefit of stoking his base into securing all-things-Trump, the plastic cash generators, according to Murtaugh, are attracting interest from ample amounts of first-time donors. That could have some interesting effects on the promotional products world. If the president can raise such a lofty sum as the aforementioned one in only 10 days and through a pretty standard commodity, might the Trump Straws come to be the first in a series of merchandise options that he calls upon to help to keep his title? One could also wonder if the intense popularity of the eponymous straws should serve as motivation for the Democratic nomination contenders to up their promo presence. While policies and principles should guide elections, nobody should ever slight the power of an attention-grabbing good to further someone’s chances.
