George Smith: Trump’s social media advisory team

Literally minutes — MINUTES! — after the 45th president of the United States, was booked on felony charges in the Fulton County, Georgia Jail, someone activated Donald J. Trump’s Twitter (X) account to show off his booking mugshot.

He did not publicize his mugshot — and follow-up with an email to “supporters” — just to show off the now-famous Stanley Kubrick go-to-the-movies-to-see-an-actor’s-through-the-eyebrows-mean-sneer, but to urge his followers to send him money for his defense of “YOU” and our values.

Trump was released from his booking assignment at 7:55 p.m. EST, 20 minutes after he entered the jail. Eighty-seven minutes later — at 9:22 p.m. — the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee was selling t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, coffee mugs, beverage coolers, flags and bumper stickers.

Trump’s campaign site is filled with merchandise with the catch-line: “Never Surrender,” even though that’s what he did at the Atlanta jail — he surrendered.

But, interestingly enough, it was not until Saturday morning that the Official Trump Campaign Store promoted mugshot-featured items.

At the Trump Store site, you could order “Never Surrender” coffee mugs ($25), 18x24 signed posters ($28), black or white long sleeve shirts ($34), beverage can koozies (2 for $15). And for those forward-thinking believers, a MAGA 47 made-in-China red baseball cap for $40.

The site, expanded to include the mugshot items, still features a wide variety of “Trump 2024” merchandise available — beach blankets, beach balls, swimwear, fridge magnets, koozies and flags (3x5-feet, $43, 16x24-inch yard signs, $35).

And, the first mugshot ever taken of a U.S. president, was available late Thursday to the general public, made available by the general public. At numerous sites set up by entrepreneurs on Etsy and Amazon and personal direct-sales sites, a variety of items were almost instantly available: T-shirts ($34), mugshot glasses ($19.95), caps, hats, ($19.95 to $40), with items also including liquor flasks, ‘free Trump” posters, tote bags and… baby clothes.

Baby clothes? Conjure up the image of cute little 9-month-old Bubba Ray or Bobbie Jean in a a white or red onesie with Trump’s mugshot on the front. It’s available, along with different colored baby and toddler garments with proper slogan: “Trump: Take America Back — 2024.” The headline “Trump 2024” is available with a duo-tone photo of the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, ex-president, as is a dramatic white on-on-black rendering of Trump in dark sunglasses with the “Terminator” slogan, ‘I’ll Be Back!”

Impressing the kids at daycare, maybe?

“Not Guilty” shirts featuring a different photo of Trump are available for $25; a spiffy “adulating” dress “Trump 2024 — Take America Back!” is on sale for less than $30, but does not include shipping and handling; a “Yes, I’m a Trump Girl” magnet is only $5.99; and a “unisex” camo hat (Take America Back) is only $9.99; total cost, including handling and shipping costs to Arkansas from wherever, is estimated at $54.

For the “put it all out there” women, there’s a t-shirt emblazoned with “I have PTSD — Pretty Tired of Stupid Democrats, Trump 2024.”

Not all entrepreneurs trying to make money off Trump’s arrest and photo are supporters. The environmental group Green Day is offering t-shirts with Trump’s mugshot with an “Ultimate Nimrod” underline. There are also tennis shoes with “Trump 2024” imprinted over the image of a screeching eagle ($59.99).

One enterprising business person is offered full-front photo shirts with Trump’s image superimposed over the White House with the message “Sexiest Man Alive.” (Note: There is no truth to the rumor Trump bought a gross of the shirts.) Yet another, to avoid possible cease-and-desist letters from the Trump Lawyer Corps, featured a crude drawing of him with height chart and featuring part of the booking number. Another site offers “Trump Commemorative” handcuffs (very small size).

The point is this: There is a market for just about any item in which people put value, either emotionally or fiscally.

In the case of the 45th president... sometimes it’s both.

DeSantis’ new nickname

At last week’s debate, Florida Gov. DeSantis said, “I was deployed with Navy Seals in Iraq.”

My thought: “I didn’t know he was a Seal. That’s impressive.”

Wrong! DeSantis wasn’t a Seal; he was a lawyer assigned to keep a Seal Team out of legal trouble as a JAG (Junior Adjutant General, i.e. lawyer).

A Seal who served with the governor said following the debate: “Let me assure everyone that DeSantis was NEVER a U.S. Navy SEAL! ”

DeSantis also spent time during his JAG career stationed at the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he was classified as an assistant urinalysis coordinator.

According to the Navy Urinalysis Coordinator Handbook “Reference (a) designates the Urinalysis Coordinator as the advisor to the commanding officer on all matters relating to urinalysis collection and transportation of samples to the Navy Drug Screening Lab (NDSL).”

He advised a Seal team on legal matters AND collected and transported urine samples.

Trump is going to have a field day with his rival’s new nickname. Goodbye, “DeSanctimonious.” Hello, “Peepee DeSantis.”

— George S. Smith is a former publisher of the Marshall News Messenger.