Trump milks arrest photos for WH run

Presidential hopefuls are selling a cornucopia of weird and wonderful merchandise to bankroll their White House dreams, from Donald Trump's money-spinning mug shot on cups and plates to "Joe Biden makes me cry" bibs.

Trump's campaign has raised almost $3 million in just one week after the former president's August surrender to law enforcement in Atlanta, through sales of products plastered with his arrest photo.

The 2020 election proved the most expensive in US history, and the 2024 election could well surpass it, with T-shirts, hats and buttons turning supporters into walking billboards for their favored campaigns.

Supporters of Biden can pick up a $32 crop top featuring the "Dark Brandon" meme, an uber-cool, laser-eyed online alter ego embraced by his campaign.

Some campaigns have leaned into the creativity angle. Mitt Romney's supporters can bake with his branded oven mitts, while the Biden campaign put out $10 "Truth over Flies" swatters after a fly landed on Mike Pence's head during a televised debate.

"This is what Americans do," laughs one political scientist. "We come up with goofy ways to monetize just about anything, including the presidency."

 With AFP