Trump 2020 'Make Straws Great Again' push brings in big bucks
President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from a perhaps unlikely merchandise offer: reusable plastic straws.
The recyclable straws have generated at least $456,000 in sales since July 19, according a report from Politico, which added than more than half the people that purchased straws had never previously given to Trump’s campaign.
Trump campaign manager Brad Pascale also said on Twitter that the straws had generated almost half a million dollars in sales.
According to a description of the straws on the campaign store’s website, they are reusable and recyclable, laser-engraved with Trump’s name, made in the U.S. and offered in packs of 10. They cost $15.
“Liberal paper straws don’t work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today,” the website reads.
The first batch of straws sold out within hours, according to Politico.
Similar to the plastic bag ban, plastic straws have come under fire for the potential damage they can cause to the environment – since they aren’t biodegradable.
Seattle was one of the first U.S. cities to ban the use of plastic straws, joined by the likes of San Francisco, New York and D.C. A handful of large companies, including Starbucks and McDonalds, have also said they will eventually phase out the item.
The Trump campaign sales pitch is a statement on the cultural backlash, where action tends to originate in Democratically-controlled cities and states.
On Friday, the president said when it comes to plastics – there are “bigger problems.”
“You know, it’s interesting about plastic straws: So, you have a little straw, but what about the plates, the wrappers, and everything else that are much bigger and they’re made of the same material?” he said in front of reporters, as reported by Reuters. “Everybody focuses on the straws. There’s a lot of other things to focus on.”
As reported by Politico, Pascale came up with the idea – after tweeting about his frustration with paper straws.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
The campaign’s second-highest grossing item is a shirt featuring California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff with a pencil for a neck, after the president called him “pencil neck.” It has reportedly grossed around $250,000.
During former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s widely publicized testimony on Capitol Hill last week, the campaign also asked supporters to donate to send a message to Democrats to end the “witch hunt.”