Trump cheats with hot dogs and brands everything in sight, media report
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump is increasingly bringing his personal brand into the governmental sphere. And while staying at his own golf club, the president even bills the Secret Service for hot dogs, according to journalists, citing The Washington Post and The Daily Beast.
Donald Trump has long turned his name into a trademark: his surname has adorned hotels, golf clubs, real estate, and various merchandise for decades. However, during his second presidential term, this practice has become increasingly noticeable in the governmental sphere as well.
The Washington Post compiled a list of government facilities and items on which the Trump administration has placed his name or image. It includes federal buildings, official documents, and other elements of state symbolism. Even passes to National Parks!
Passport with Trump's portrait (photo: US State Department)
One of the most prominent examples is a commemorative $1 coin issued for the 250th anniversary of the United States. Trump is depicted on its obverse side, and the coin is sold in sets of 25 and 100 pieces.
$1 coin from the US Mint (photo: US Mint)
Thus, the presidential face ended up on an item that is formally part of the American monetary system, although the coin was issued specifically as a commemorative item. Its appearance has already become part of a broader discussion about how far Trump goes in promoting his own name using government resources.
But the list doesn't end there.
As The Washington Post writes, Trump's name and image have appeared on several federal facilities during his second presidency. Individual decisions regarding renaming or designing government institutions have also sparked controversy, as critics consider them a manifestation of the personalization of state institutions.
Peace Institute with Trump's name (photo: Getty Images)
And against this backdrop, the story told by The Daily Beast looks particularly telling.
According to the publication, when Trump plays golf at his Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, he regularly orders hot dogs for the Secret Service employees who guard him. However, instead of treating the guards at his own expense, Trump, as claimed, instructs the club to bill the Secret Service itself.
That is, even an ordinary snack for the presidential guard in this story turns into government budget expenses on the territory of the president's own business, which is a billionaire.
The publication also recalls the massive government expenses related to Trump's trips to his private golf clubs. Only during the first ten months of the previous year, such expenses amounted to about $71 million.
More interesting facts about Trump
Recently, Trump showed the new uniform of the US Space Force, inspired by the film Starship Troopers. However, critics have already identified in it the style of techno-fascism from those years.
And the US leader also decided to slightly change his image - he dyed his hair a different shade. This can be explained by the desire to make the hair appear thicker due to the darker color.
But Trump's most scandalous stunt was renaming Lake Ontario, which is shared between the US and Canada, to Lake America. Ottawa has already put the US leader in his place.
