Donald Trump is often described as a showman, but he is also a salesman who takes advantage of every opportunity presented to him, even selling Bibles, sneakers and a variety of products emblazoned with his mugshot. A new business venture bearing his name, however, may be in legal trouble because of its use of an image that belongs to The Associated Press.
Last month, Trump announced on social media that a series of premium watches bearing his name and signature were for sale on the website Gettrumpwatches.com. The announcement set off a media investigation into who is behind the watches, some of which were offered for $100,000. CNN tried to solve the mystery of who is making money on the watches, and traced the LLC’s address to a strip mall in Wyoming. Trump himself has nothing to do with the watches, beyond promoting them and granting license to his name; the Trump campaign has said it isn’t involved with the venture, per The Independent in the U.K.
The Gettrumpwatches website has a disclaimer that says, “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC uses the ‘Trump’ name, image and likeness under a paid license agreement which may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”
Somewhat amusingly, the disclaimer also says, “These watches are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign.”
As Matt Giles reported for Wired, some of the watches offered on the website feature a likeness of Trump holding his fist in the air, similar to the now famous photo taken of him right after the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. That photo was taken by Evan Vucci, a Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer employed by The Associated Press, and AP owns the rights to the image.
According to Wired, “... TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC advertised a product it can’t deliver, as that image is owned by the 178-year-old news agency. This week, the AP told Wired it is pursuing a cease and desist against the LLC, which is registered in Sheridan, Wyoming.” Giles reported that the company was registered in July, “it is unclear who actually owns or is associated with the LLC,” and no one had responded to a request for comment.
But the website currently makes no mention of the image in question, and doesn’t show it, even on the landing page for the $799 “Fight, Fight, Fight” watch, which is marked as “sold out.”
Trump himself has not promoted the watches recently on X, instead suggesting that people buy Melania Trump’s memoir and a crypto-like token called WLFI that Nellie Bowles at The Free Press called “unfathomably scammy” because it can’t be sold or used as currency.
The most underreported story in Trump merch, however, might be that the famous MAGA red cap now comes in a variety of colors to include turquoise, green apple, royal blue and pink, via the official Trump store.