White House Gift Shop Sells Trump Indictment Coin, but Not Affiliated with White House
A privately owned company named the White House Gift Shop is currently selling a coin that commemorates former President Donald Trump’s second indictment. However, the item is not affiliated with the White House in Washington, D.C., as Senator Bill Cassidy’s misleading tweet suggested.
It is worth noting that Trump is the first former U.S. president to face multiple criminal charges. He was first charged in New York State court in April for allegedly making hush money payments to a porn actor. In June, he was charged in federal court in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents and obstructing federal officials who tried to retrieve the files after he left office.
A video posted by Sen. Cassidy on Twitter suggested that the White House Gift Shop was selling the coin in poor taste and capitalizing on something without permission. However, the video failed to mention that the gift shop is a privately run, web-based retail sales company not affiliated with the White House. The coin is part of the White House Gift Shop’s collection of “Great Moments in Presidential History” coins; they have also sold a coin commemorating Trump’s first indictment.
Cassidy’s tweet left the false impression that the Biden White House is involved with the coin’s sale. Although Cassidy didn’t explicitly claim that the shop was connected to the executive branch, some social media users understood it that way.
The gift shop has previously been criticized for selling coins commemorating events like the COVID-19 pandemic; these criticisms included false suggestions that the shop is affiliated with the White House.
It is misleading for Cassidy to suggest that the executive branch is unfairly targeting Trump with commemorative coins. As one of the seven Republicans who voted to find Trump guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors following the former president’s second impeachment after the deadly riot at the Capitol in January 2021, Cassidy has not always supported Trump. It is unclear whether Cassidy knew that the White House Gift Shop was not affiliated with the White House when he chose to highlight the company’s merchandise on Twitter.
Sources
- Waxman, Olivia. “Donald Trump Is the First President Ever Criminally Charged. Others Have Come Close Though.” Time. Updated 30 Mar 2023.
- Farley, Robert and D’Angelo Gore. “What’s in Trump’s Indictment?” FactCheck.org. 4 Apr 2023.
- Farley, Robert, D’Angelo Gore and Eugene Kiely. “Q&A on Trump’s Federal Indictment.” FactCheck.org. 9 Jun 2023.
- Cassidy, Bill (@BillCassidy). “The White House Gift Shop should not be selling a commemorative coin marking Donald Trump’s indictment. This is totally outrageous.” Twitter. 12 Jun 2023.
- The White House Gift Shop, Inc. “APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN MICHIGAN.” Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. 7 Nov 2022.
- Fichera, Angelo. “The White House Isn’t Selling Coronavirus Coins.” FactCheck.org. Updated 5 Oct 2020.
- Farley, Robert. “How Many Died as a Result of Capitol Riot?” FactCheck.org. Updated 21 Mar 2022.
- Kiely, Eugene, et al. “Trump’s Falsehood-Filled ‘Save America’ Rally.” FactCheck.org. 6 Jan 2021.
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Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
