If there’s one factor President Donald Trump is aware of, it’s branding. The person has been promoting the Trump identify for many years, letting builders all around the world stick his identify on accommodations. And who may neglect Trump steaks, Trump wine, Trump College, and Trump vodka?
Nicely, it seems that Trump feels the identical means in regards to the presidential seal.
In accordance with Forbes, the presidential seal has now turned up at a sixth Trump golf property. This time, it was noticed hanging in his membership’s eating room in Potomac Falls, Virginia. In 2024, golf markers with the presidential seal have been noticed at Trump’s golf course in Westchester, New York, and since 2021, related markers have been discovered at golf programs in New Jersey, New York Metropolis, and two in Florida.
First, peep the dates on when these markers appeared on the primary 5 programs—2021 by way of 2024. Sure, Trump was placing the presidential seal on golf markers at his personal membership … when he wasn’t even president.
Not solely is that this cheesy, but it surely’s additionally unlawful—whether or not Trump is president or not.
Federal regulation prohibits the usage of the seal on this trend, making it a literal crime:
Whoever knowingly shows any printed or different likeness of the nice seal of the US, or of the seals of the President or the Vice President of the US … in, or in reference to, any commercial, poster, round, guide, pamphlet, or different publication, public assembly, play, movement image, telecast, or different manufacturing, or on any constructing, monument, or stationery, for the aim of conveying, or in a way fairly calculated to convey, a misunderstanding of sponsorship or approval by the Authorities of the US or by any division, company, or instrumentality thereof, shall be fined below this title or imprisoned no more than six months, or each.
That is exactly what Trump’s doing; he’s placing the presidential seal on objects for his private business enterprises in a way that means authorities approval. And the truth that he continued with the entire golf marker factor is very brazen. Throughout his first time period, the Trump Group ordered dozens of seals to make use of as golf markers.
These weren’t small golf tees. Quite, they have been 12-inch replicas of the seal to be positioned firstly of every golf course to point the place golfers ought to stand. Once they have been busted for it, a Trump Worldwide spokesperson tried to say that in some way a gaggle of enthusiastic Trump followers gave the membership the markers.
“The plaques have been introduced to the membership by a small group of members, who’re unimaginable followers of the President, in honor of Presidents day [sic] weekend. They have been short-term and have since been eliminated,” they mentioned.
That argument shortly fell aside, although, since“Trump Worldwide” was listed because the buyer who bought the markers.
After ProPublica broke the story in 2018, the White Home eliminated the seals, so it isn’t like Trump is unaware that he can’t do that. He simply doesn’t care.
It was inevitable, actually, that Trump would use the presidential seal for his personal enterprises. He sees no separation between his personal grift and his presidential function. As a substitute, he’s desirous to leverage his function as president to make a private revenue.
Take his wildly corrupt crypto dinner, the place individuals spent tens of millions on Trump’s silly bitcoin to get entry to the president. There, Trump spoke from a lectern bearing the presidential seal, regardless of the White Home claiming that it was not an official occasion.
Trump’s persistent use of the seal is half promoting gimmick, half deception in regards to the endorsement of the federal government. However it’s additionally a logo of Trump’s fragile ego and boundless want for consideration.
Think about being the literal president of the US—arguably essentially the most highly effective individual on this planet—and being so determined that it’s important to guarantee that the fawning toadies who populate your golf programs see your particular little seal.
In addition to being unlawful, it’s simply pathetic.
