Donald Trump’s company started selling a new line of Trump-branded merchandise this month and some of the products are manufactured overseas, The Daily Beast found. The Trump Organization launched Trumpstore.com and sells a $32 Trump Golf hat made in Bangladesh and a $25 faux gold bouillion “TRUMP” coin bank made in China. The Trump Organization is still owned by the president and is managed by his sons, Eric and Donald Jr. (who promoted the opening on his Facebook page). It appears then that Trump is profiting off of foreign-made goods despite his promise to put “America first” when it comes to manufacturing. The Trump Organization and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. “Even though he’s taken some steps to separate himself from his business, we know that he can still receive reports about the Trump Organization and that he can directly profit from the sale of those goods,” said Larry Noble of the Campaign Legal Center, an ethics watchdog group in Washington, D.C. Trump was criticized during the presidential campaign for bashing Mexico and China for “stealing” U.S. jobs even though his ties were made in Mexico and he applied for trademarks in China. Moving into the White House hasn’t changed things though. While the Trump Store website registered by the Trump Organization in 2004, it only directed visitors to the shopping section of the website for Trump Tower in Manhattan until May 2017. In June, a verified Twitter account for the Trump Store was established and in November the website started as a stand-alone site. Aside from hypocrisy, Trump has faced criticism for his foreign-business deals for another reason: the Constitution’s “emoluments clause.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-is-selling-new-merchandise-made-in-china-and-bangladesh
My girlfriend and I (mostly her) resolved to no buy Chinese products for six months and especially at Christmas. Whew, great, that is my excuse for all my Trump voting friends this Christmas.