Like President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, mushers and opportunists has sought to cash in on the new Trump era — including the president himself.
Just days before he took office, Trump launched memecoin called $TRUMP to “celebrate our victory and have fun,” warning that it was “not intended as… an investment opportunity.” Trump announced the launch of X and Truth Social, many people wondered if the president's account had one has been hacked.
However, within just a few hours, thousands of people invested in cryptocurrency. The sale was so successful that, with billions of dollars, it accounts for nearly 90 percent of Trump's total assets. However, like many memecoins, the price of $TRUMP fluctuated wildly and dropped significantly on Sunday, with the drop continuing into Monday.
By the time he was sworn in as president on Monday, memecoin $TRUMP has value only about 50 billion USD, of which Trump retained 80% of the amount. The coin is built on the Solana blockchain, allowing anyone anywhere in the world to transfer money directly to the US president.
First Lady Melania Trump also launched her own memecoin on Sunday, and while it hasn't reached the level of Trump's memecoin, it $MELANIA coin worth nearly $8 billion on Monday.
The president and first lady aren't the only ones looking to cash in on the buzz surrounding Trump's second term and especially on inauguration weekend. Since his first term in office, Trump has become a magnet for all manner of moneymaking and monetization, many of which have been endorsed by the president himself, including everything from guitars to shoes to trading cards and coins.
Religion has also been placed on the negotiating table. Lee Greenwood, a country music singer, said Sunday that Trump could use a special version of the song. Bible “God Bless America” because of his oath—the same bible the singer has been selling to Trump since last March.
The “Inauguration Day Bible” was sold on Greenwood's own website—along with pink and camo versions of the Bible—for $70 last week, but when Trump took office on Monday, the Bible Saints seem to have been sold out.
A variety of other commemorative items are on sale, from dozens of “Inauguration Day” T-shirts and hats being sold on platforms like Amazon and Etsy to special “Inauguration Edition” baked goods from Victory Coffee. One Texas-based jeweler even offered to give the president an 8-carat diamond shaped like his head in what appeared to be a marketing effort.
And because Trump's inauguration was moved indoors due to cold weather, tens of thousands of people who were sent tickets to the event were unable to use them. People have tried to cash in on those tickets, with dozens of listings on eBay offering unused tickets for up to $200 each. Tickets are distributed free of charge by House members and feature a hologram and signature of the representative whose office issues them. Many listings were sold, some sellers offering multiple tickets.
A specific website offering tickets commemorating the opening ceremony has also been set up, with some tickets being offered for up to $900 USD. It's unclear who is behind the site, but it ranked as the second result on a Google search for “inauguration celebration tickets.”
Mill and making money in Trumpworld is nothing new. Since Trump came to power in 2016, he and his supporters have adopted many different plans. With Trump's support, many figures have made their careers Topics like the stolen election or COVID denialism.