The Donald Trump 2.0 Grift Is Already On

As President Donald Trump Sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, Grifter and Opportunist There were already efforts to finance the new Trump era — including the president himself.

Just days before he took over, Trump launched a memecoin “Called $TRUMP to celebrate our win and have fun,” cautioning that it is “not intended to be an investment opportunity.” Trump announced the launch of X and Truth on social, leaving many wondering about the president’s account was hacked.

However, within hours, thousands had invested in the cryptocurrency. The sale was so successful That, in billions of dollars, was about 90% Trump’s overall wealth. However, like many memecoins, the price of $TRUMP coins fluctuated wildly and dropped significantly on Sunday, continuing the decline into Monday.

While he was sworn in as President on Monday, $TRUMP was the value of MemeCoin Just shy of $50 billion, Trump holds 80 percent of the coins. Built on the Solana blockchain, this currency allows anyone anywhere in the world to send money directly to the President of the United States.

First Lady Melania Trump also launched her own MemeCoin on Sunday, and while it didn’t reach the level of Trump’s MemeCoin, $Melania coin Monday’s price was about $8 billion.

The president and first lady were far from the buzz Trump wanted to cash in on in his second term, and especially during the inauguration weekend. Since his first term in office, Trump has become a magnet for all manner of graft and cash grabs, many of which have been endorsed by the president himself and include everything from guitars and shoes to trading cards and coins.

Religion is also put on the table. Country singer Lee Greenwood said Sunday that Trump might use a special version of it “God Bless the USA” Bible As for his swearing-in — the same Bible singer has been selling with Trump since last March.

The “Inauguration Day Edition Bible” went on sale last week for $70 — alongside hot pink and camo versions of the Bible — on Greenwood’s own website, but the Bible appears to have already sold out as Trump takes office on Monday.

A raft of other commemorative items are being sold on platforms like Amazon and Etsy, from dozens of “Inauguration Day” t-shirts and hats to a special “Inauguration Edition” roast from Victory Coffee. A Texas-based jeweler is even offering to gift the president an 8-carat diamond in the shape of his head in what appears to be a marketing bid.

And since Trump’s inauguration was moved indoors due to bitterly cold weather, hundreds of thousands of people who were sent tickets to attend the event were unable to use them. People have tried to cash in those tickets, with dozens of listings on eBay offering unused tickets for up to $200 each. The tickets were distributed free of charge by members of the House of Representatives and bear a hologram and the signature of the representative whose office issued them Many of the listings are already sold out, with some sellers offering multiple tickets.

A dedicated website offering commemorative opening tickets was also set up, with some tickets being offered for as much as $900. It’s unclear who is behind the page, but the site is ranked as the second result in a Google search for “memorial inauguration tickets.”

Grifting And cash grabs are nothing new in Trumpworld. Since Trump came to office in 2016, he and his crony supporters have adopted a variety of schemes. In support of Trump, many figures have made the whole career fun Things like stolen elections or Covid denial.