The relaunch of the American industry was one of the main electoral promises of the current President of the United States, which has made profit from the sale of a long list of products, which in some cases come from abroad.
In February 2024, one day after being sentenced by a New York judge to pay 355 million dollars in the case of an accounting fraud in which he was accused of illegally inflated his net assets, Donald Trump released a pair of sneakers shoes golden with your name.
Sold for US $ 399 (about R $ 2,370), the Trump sneakers He was the first of a list of products approved last year by the current President of the United States, which includes a silver medallion with his face sold for 100 dollars (596 R $) and a Bible for 60 dollars (360 R $).
The memorabilia have met with success among supporters – the first edition of the golden sneakers, for example, is already exhausted – and have raised a sensation outside the Trumpist universe, attracting attention to the fact that some of these products are made in China.
The 60 dollar Bible is one of these, as revealed by an investigation by the Associated Press news agency, which discovered that the cost per unit would be 3 dollars.
Another product are the embroidered red caps Make America big again (“Make America again”, in literal translation) which became viral this week of Trump’s settlement because they had a label indicating that the design was American and another that clarified that the piece itself had been built far: “made in China” (made in China).
China is one of the declared enemies of the United States in the Trumpist rhetoric.
The idea that the import of Chinese products is one of the forces behind the decline of the American industry has motivated the Republican in his first term to impose a series of rates and undertake a commercial war with China, a movement that should continue with His return the White House.
During the events during the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to revitalize the American industry.
This is one of the central ideas expressed by the slogan Make America big again.
In the most recent version, shortly after being elected, Trump lent his name to a collection of guitars decorated with an eagle and the United States flag on the body and the slogan Make America big again in capital letters on the arm.
The musical community immediately reacted to release. The design, very similar to that of the iconic Les Paul of the Gibson brand – which immediately sent an extrajudicial notification to Trump Guitars warning of the copy – and above all its origin.
“Is it produced in China? I was wondering the same thing,” said the American musician and YouTuber Taylor Danley in a live broadcast on Discord, responding to a follower, while watching the specifications on the brand’s website.
Who produces Trump guitars?
The Trump Guitars website is vague about where the models are produced.
The FAQ section describes that all guitars “are designed and designed by a company owned by military veterans with the assistance of a master luthier”.
And he informs that they have been “produced by several national and international suppliers”.
This, as underlined to the BBC News Brasil Silas Fernandes, Brazilian guitarist and music producer who lives in the United States, is a strong clue that the instrument is not produced on American soil.
“There is no company that produces in the United States and that does not have a section on the site with guitars.”produced in the United States‘Announced in large letters “, says Fernandes, who is also a technician of the guitar, a professional who accompanies the bands in the maintenance and development of the instrument.
“It is a resource, a very powerful marketing resource, being American.”
This is because most of the guitars sold in the world are produced, for cost reasons, in Asia.
About 70%, estimates the musician, who has more than 30 years of experience and has already visited one of the major Chinese producers, which distributes to several brands.
Fernandes states that today there are Chinese guitars with different levels of quality and price, depending on the wood used as raw material and parts such as mechanics and bridge.
However, he adds, continues to be a certain “fetish” for the models manufactured in the United States, which tend to be considerably more expensive.
The Jackson Guitars veteran, for example, advertises its models of the American series as “Product in California“.
The report wondered Get Trump Guitars regarding the place of production of the tools sold on the website, but received no answer.
Considering the characteristics of the model, Fernandes says that “most likely” is produced in Asia, more precisely in China, South Korea or Indonesia.
The quality, in its opinion, is not compatible with the price, from 1,500 dollars (about 8,950 R $) to 11,500 dollars (about 68,600 R $), in this case for the parts autographed by the current president.
The cost of production, according to him, “exaggerating” would reach 100 dollars (596 R $).
“They seem to me those guitars of the cheapest line of the Epiphone,” he says, referring to the cheaper versions of Les Paul, produced outside the United States.
The guitar handle, exemplifies, is screwed, which is not observed on the original Les Paul.
“The whole community already knows that it is produced in Asia … which is very ironic, said by a boy who conducted a political campaign based on the relaunch of the American industry,” says Fernandes.
The musician Taylor Danley has even purchased one of the models to see up close how it is made and is still awaiting delivery.
In the video in which he recorded the trial on his YouTube channel, he attracted attention to the name of the company that appears on the credit card in the investigation: “God Bless the USA Bible”.
Trump’s business
The Bible Bless the USA Bible is connected to God Bless the USA, an e-commerce platform full of products approved by Trump, from Jukebox shirts.
The website started working in March 2024, according to its social networks.
The name refers to the song of the same name published in 1984 by the singer Lee Greenwood, personal friend of Trump and performed during the inauguration.
The artist’s personal site is listed, together with the site that sells the Trump guitars, among the “friends and partners” of the God Bless the USA page.
It is not clear what relationship he has with the brand and what participation he has in the company.
Recent agreements are added to the long list of projects in which Trump has invested before entering politics, which includes a real estate empire with hotels and golf courses.
He also earned a lot of money by lending his name to dozens of products through license agreements during his television career when he conducted the reality show The apprenticeAnd in their own projects, from men’s clothing to mineral water.
Since he left the White House, he has expanded investments and has ventured into a series of new activities.
For example, he created a communication group, called Trump Media & Technology Group, head of the launch of the social network Truth Social in 2022.
In the same year he launched his NFT brand (digital assets known as “non -fungible token” and considered unique, as a work of art).
The first lot of 45,000 collectible cards, sold for 99 dollars (590 R $), contained images of the current president who played golf, for example, and in the role of a superhero.
The list of Trump activities also includes a cryptocurrency trading platform, World Liberty Financial, launched in 2024, and, since last week, a cryptocurrency that bears its name.
The initiatives have turned on a discussion on the potential conflict of interest, since, as president, Trump can take measures that directly affect his activities.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
