Today, Donald Trump unveiled a line of NFT trading cards that promise buyers tangible advantages, such as an invitation to a gala dinner with Trump or even a chance to meet and greet with him in person. The news has both NFT fans and Trump backers scratching their heads.
On Thursday, Trump posted a link to the Collect Trump Cards campaign on his official Truth Social account. According to the post, the digital trading cards will cost $99 each and entitle buyers to enter sweepstakes to win various benefits. The cards were created on the Ethereum sidechain network Polygon.
Each card has a drawing of Trump, who is occasionally transformed into a superhero, cowboy, or astronaut. In actuality, the former president left office in disgrace after inciting the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has since been the subject of inquiries into both his involvement in the incidents and allegations of fraud at his firms.
He wrote today,
“Like a baseball card, but perhaps even more interesting, Collect all of your favorite Trump Digital Trading Cards. Would be a wonderful Christmas present. Stop waiting. I think they’ll be gone very fast.”
Although there had previously been unofficial efforts, this is the first time that Trump himself has launched his own NFT collectibles. For instance, earlier this year, the social network Parler launched NFTs with Trump as an inspiration. There are a total of 45,000 NFTs in Trump’s collection on Polygon, with a per-buyer cap of 100.
NFT personalities are in disbelief
When Trump vowed to make a “big announcement” today, Crypto personalities immediately reacted to it on Crypto Twitter.
Scott Melker, a cryptocurrency trader and influencer, said, he has a lot of questions and comments, but he is actually just shocked and perplexed and hopes it all goes away immediately.
Even some conservatives think the launch was a failure. “Love the guy but this puts many off,” commented filmmaker and former Republican congressional candidate Robby Starbuck.
It’s interesting to note that the website variously refers to trading cards as “NFTs” and “digital collectibles.” Since the term “digital collectible” is not as harshly regarded by general audiences as “NFTs,” a big brand has already used it to describe the technology. Nevertheless, the website takes sure to emphasize that the cards are printed on Polygon, which it deems as eco-friendly and carbon-neutral.
