PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As he wraps up the Republican presidential nomination, Former President Donald Trump Hawking the new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a crowd that bills itself as the “Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth,” Saturday came to an unusual halt.
Trump was met with loud cheers at the Philadelphia Convention Center when he unveiled what he called the first official Trump shoe.
The new website, which sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle, sells shoes called “Never Surrender High-Tops” for $399, with gold-tone high-tops with an American flag detail on the back. He would be the 47th president if re-elected.
Although Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts, the website says it has nothing to do with Trump's campaign.
Friday, a judge in New York Trump ordered $355 million in finesThe former president was found to have lied about his assets for years and plotted to defraud banks, insurers and others by exaggerating his wealth in financial statements.
That fine was imposed after Trump took office Ordered to pay $83.3 million Writer E. For damage to Jean Carroll's reputation after she was accused of sexual assault. with interest, Trump's legal debts could now exceed half a billion dollars – The amount he can pay is not clear.
Trump's appearance drew confrontations from his opponents and chants of “America!” From supporters who arrived at the sneaker event decked out in Trump gear. The fighting chants sometimes made it difficult to hear Trump speak. Some held signs that read “Sneakerheads Love Trump.”
“There's a lot of emotion in this room,” Trump said of the reaction, after holding up a pair of gold shoes and placing one on each side of his podium.
“This is something I've been talking about for 12 years, 13 years,” he said.
As he spoke, the smell of weed wafted through the room from time to time.
Some of those in attendance said they had no idea Trump would be there and continued to shop as the crowd gathered around the stage. Many of the visitors said they were not from the city, but instead from nearby states and Washington.
Attendees were younger and more diverse than Trump's usual rally crowd. Trump's campaign hopes to win over more young and minority voters, particularly young black men, in a November rematch against President Joe Biden.
This isn't the first money-making effort Trump has announced since launching his third campaign for the White House in 2022. Trump last year Reportedly earning between $100,000 and $1 million with a series of digital trading cards Photo editing depicted him in a series of cartoon-like images, including an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.
Trump's new sneaker website says it's run by CIC Ventures LLC, which Trump announced he owns in his 2023 financial release. A similarly named company, CIC Digital LLC, owns his digital trading card NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.
The website says the new initiative is “non-political and has nothing to do with any political campaign”.
A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to questions, including whether Trump was paid to attend the event.
The website describes the shoes as a limited edition, “true collector's item” that is “bold, gold and tough just like President Trump”.
“Never Surrender Sneakers is your rallying cry in shoe form,” reads the description. “Lace-up and leave ready to win.”
Among those in the crowd were Jonathan Santiago, 21, and Dania Mitchell, 20, Trump supporters who drove from Monroe County, in the northeastern part of the state, for the sneaker event. They said they were excited to see the former president and praised how he interacted with the crowd. They also had kind words for the sneakers.
“Red Bottoms was really good,” Mitchell said.
Asked about Trump's legal troubles, he shrugged. “I think it's going to be an interesting four years if he's convicted, but I have no doubt he'll be president,” he said.
Also in attendance was a group of “cheer moms” from New Jersey who said they were in town for a cheerleading event and decided to stop by for a chance to see Trump.
Karla Burke, 48, said she heard some people yelling and screaming, but most of the people around her were supporters. “There was a different vibe at the front,” she said.
As for Friday's conviction in Trump's civil fraud trial, Burke said it won't change his support. “I think it's unfair,” he said. “They're going after him so he's not the Republican nominee.”
Biden-Harris 2024 communications director Michael Tyler slammed the look: “Donald Trump's hawkish bootleg off-whites show is the closest he'll come to any Air Force veteran in his lifetime.”
Trump plans a rally on Saturday in Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
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Colvin reported from New York.
