Businessman Trump Sells DOGE Merch
President-elect Donald Trump is embracing both entrepreneurship and his alliance with influential figures by selling DOGE-themed shirts following the appointment of billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.), a nod to Musk's favoured cryptocurrency, Dogecoin.
The shirts, priced at $28 on Trump's official campaign site, feature a bold design with Trump and Musk's faces set against a Mars-inspired backdrop, with the letters "D O G E" prominently displayed.
🚨 JUST IN:
Trump sells “DOGE” T-shirts after declaring Elon Musk the new head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) pic.twitter.com/0q34kJkRLV
— FOMO (@magFOMO) November 13, 2024
Adding a playful touch, the official Dogecoin mascot, a Shiba Inu, is seen peeking over their shoulders.
Dogecoin on a stable Rise
Following the subtle announcement of D.O.G.E., the trading volume of Dogecoin ($DOGE) surged to $47 billion, though its price and market capitalisation remained largely unchanged.
Many had anticipated that Musk would be appointed to an advisory or cabinet position, which may explain why the $DOGE price did not experience an exponential boost.
This marks Musk's latest effort to capitalise on his favourite cryptocurrency, with his past influence on Dogecoin's price well-documented.
pic.twitter.com/4K0ruu7UMS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
In 2021 alone, Musk tweeted about Dogecoin 30 times across 22 days, driving its price up by as much as 32%.
More recently, his temporary change of Twitter's logo to the Dogecoin mascot resulted in another 30% price spike.
At the time of writing, it is trading at $0.3863, a 0.88% increase in the last 24 hours and a 94.26% increase in the last week, according to CoinMarketCap.
Is Trump Capitalising on His Victory & Hype?
As much as it may seem opportunistic, capitalising on one's popularity and hype is hardly a mistake in the world of politics and business.
Is President-elect Trump doing just that?
Following his high-profile victory and the appointment of Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to his newly-formed D.O.G.E., Trump appears to be leveraging the Dogecoin surge by selling DOGE-themed merchandise on his campaign site.
Afuera! 🔥 https://t.co/aw9PACs1Lf
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 13, 2024
With his inauguration set for 20 January 2025, Trump will be juggling both political and personal responsibilities.
In addition to ongoing duties, he faces a trial on 26 November, addressing allegations ranging from efforts to conceal a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
He will also be involved in significant events like the Certificate of Ascertainment on 11 December and the electors' meeting on 17 December.
The coming months are packed with crucial milestones leading up to his swearing-in.
