Yes, the big reveal was a collection of digital trading cards featuring the 45th President (indeed, a symbolic 45,000 cards have been created in this initial series) selling for $99 each. The cards, drawn by illustrator Clark Mitchell, feature Trump in a variety of guises, such as opening his jacket to reveal a superhero costume a la Superman/Clark Kent, with flashing red laser eyes. There’s also Trump as a Wild West sheriff, and an astronaut, as well as a racecar driver, in which he’s sporting the number 47.
“These cards feature some of the really incredible artwork pertaining to my life and my career,” Trump said in a video accompanying the announcement. “They also make perfect gifts!”
“MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! My official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card collection is here!” Trump also wrote on Truth Social, as reported by the Washington Examiner. “These limited edition cards feature amazing ART of my Life & Career!”
He added they “would make a great Christmas gift,” and urged shoppers to snap them up soon. “They will be gone, I believe, very quickly,” he wrote.
The $99 NFTs are available on Collecttrumpcards.com, which notes in its FAQ section that the sale of these cards will not benefit Trump’s re-election campaign.
The cards drew strong reactions on social media on Thursday, leading “Trump NFTs” to trend on Twitter.
Some people were less than impressed with the design, calling them “ugly” or “cringey.”
Some conservatives were also disappointed that this was the gist of the “major announcement.”
Others questioned whether NFTs are a sound investment. A refresher: NFT stands for nonfungible token, meaning they are intended to be unique and aren’t meant to serve as a means of exchange. The NFT represents something, like a piece of art, or a collectible, rather than a generic currency.
Indeed, NFT sales volume is at a record low after a 20% drop in November, which follows an ongoing declining trend over the past year.
Yet Trump is getting the last laugh here, as OpenSea data shows that all 45,000 of his NFT cards sold out in less than 24 hours since launch. There are 14,666 owners in total, with around 64% of them owning only 1 item. The biggest holder had 1,000 items. The second biggest holder owned 489 items (though this number was fluctuating Friday morning).
One incentive to buy could have been that these Trump digital cards come with a possible in-person meeting with the GOP leader. A Trump-themed sweepstakes has also been announced at Collecttrumpcards.com. Anyone who buys one of the Trump cards is entered into a contest with thousands of prizes that include a one-on-one meeting with the former commander-in-chief, or playing golf with him, as well as autographed merchandise and memorabilia.
“Each card comes with an automatic chance to win amazing prizes, like dinner with me,” Trump said in the accompanying video.
The grand prize is scoring an invitation to a gala dinner hosted by Trump in Miami (black tie optional). Or, you can drop almost $4,500 to buy 45 of the Trump digital trading cards for a guaranteed ticket to a dinner with the former president.
