Member-only story
Trump as Fetish Object
Cashing in on ressentiment
That image is real. You can actually buy that … thing. Why someone would create such a thing and why someone would want such a thing is less baffling when you realize the power of ressentiment.
I wrote about ressentiment here on Medium several years ago. In my book on why some people support Trump, I appropriately acknowledged the central place of ressentiment in the history of the right wing in the United States. The particular and peculiar strain of political culture that has for centuries dominated the American right wing is fueled by ressentiment. And these people currently focus on Trump.
Trump Swag — The Purveyors
“Hey buddy, wanna buy a designer watch? Yeah, it’s real, just real cheap ‘cuz I got a source.”
Some people try to capitalize on other people’s gullibility to make some quick, easy money. Trump has made a career at that. It is not surprising that similarly minded people would try to cater to the market that falls for Trump’s act.
The purveyors sell Trump swag like the fake $2 bill at the beginning of this article. And these “trading cards.”
You know that’s real because I’m not insane enough to be able to make up such things. Trump does not play baseball, or box, or drive a train, but hey, you can buy this swag. I gotta love the Obama rip-off card and the fake Trump wearing an airplane pilot uniform in front of a train. That’s what you get for using AI.
This is pure exploitation by grifters. I have no idea how many Trumpers fall for this hustle, but the profit margin has to be good. Little effort was spent on these AI-generated images. Nor was much effort spent on stealing this photo to create this “trading card.”
You too can buy that “mint condition” Trump Assassination Attempt card, and presumably display it next to your Mike Trout rookie card.
