This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
At Trump rallies, fans can buy merchandise that reflects the president's unapologetic style, from 'Fredo Unhinged' T-shirts to straws with the campaign's logo. But behind the scenes, the campaign's strategy is more complex, with different teams taking credit for different items.
According to an interview with Jennifer Wingard, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Houston, Trump's campaign has mastered the art of social media influencer culture, using popularity and branding to drive sales. Wingard noted that Trump's obsession with popularity speaks to the social media influencing mind-set that most politicians don't have.
Internally, the campaign takes pride in commodifying the president's trollish insults, with a Pencil Neck illustration hanging in the kitchen of the campaign's headquarters in suburban Virginia. However, it's not always clear that Trump understands the nuances of each smaller battle waged on his behalf, as seen in his response to a question about plastic straws in July.
Publicly, the campaign credits President Trump for the merchandise, with Brad Parscale, the campaign's manager, taking private credit for some of the more incendiary items. The attention, good and bad, just adds up to more money for Trump, as the campaign continues to sell defiance and branding to his supporters.
