Ahead of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, former President Donald Trump is promoting the “God Bless America Bible,” his latest venture on the long list of branded merchandise that the real estate mogul and former reality TV star has profited from throughout his political career — and before.

“Inspired by the song “God Bless the USA” by country musician Lee Greenwood, the Bible is selling for $59.99 and is described on its website as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump.”

In addition to the King James Version of the Bible, the book features a “handwritten refrain of ‘God Bless America,'” the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, its website states.

According to its website, this Bible is “not owned, managed or controlled” by Trump, the Trump Organization or its affiliated entities.

Instead, it uses Trump’s “name, image and likeness under paid license” through its licensing company, meaning Trump receives a cut of the Bible’s profits — a familiar arrangement for the former president.

The new product, however, is “not political” and “has nothing to do with any political campaign,” according to the website, and its proceeds will not go to Trump’s 2024 campaign.

The Biden campaign responded to Trump’s latest trademark deal by labeling it “a fraud.”

“The choice for voters this November is clear: Joe Biden, who cares about helping the American people, or Donald Trump, who only cares about helping himself,” said Biden spokesman Ammar Moussa. to ABC News.

Trump, for his part, has argued that his business success is part of what makes him a good politician.

It is not yet known how much money Trump has made or will make from this branded Bible, and it is still unclear who actually owns or manages the sales, except that the site is copyrighted by an entity called “2024 God Bless the USA Bible.” . “

Promoting the Bible in a video posted on his social media platform, Trump said: “Every American needs a Bible in their home, and I have many.”

“It’s my favorite book; It’s a lot of people’s favorite book,” he continued. “This Bible is a reminder that the greatest thing we have to bring America back, to make America great again, is our religion.”

Donald Trump, March 25, 2024, in New York. Andrea Renault/star Max/GC Images/Getty Images

Trump has attested to his affinity for the Bible before, including in 2015. In an interview, however, he was hesitant about his favorite verse because “the Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to go into details.”

In a speech in 2016, he called one of the books of the Bible “Two Corinthians” – when it is better known as Second Corinthians. He blamed this slip-up for the bad grades he received.

The former president, who spent most of his adult life as a headline-making businessman and later TV star, often seized opportunities to cash in on brand partnerships — regardless of how unexpected or successful, like a previous line of products sold soon. “Trump steaks.”

Such ventures are attracting new attention as he faces major financial pressures, having to post a $175 million bond to cover a civil fraud trial in New York, which he denies, while separately dealing with a significant campaign finance disadvantage. against rival Joe Biden.

Some Christians have criticized Trump for commodifying the Bible, highlighting the possibility that his profits from the venture could help pay his legal bills amid his escalating legal battles, which could offend some of his religious supporters.

Anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project on Wednesday resurfaced an ad published in 2022 that accused Trump of raising money from his supporters and using the money for his personal businesses, saying the Bible is “his latest scam to finance his hundreds of millions in legal costs – as if Trump had ever read a page of the Bible in his life.”

The new Bible he’s promoting isn’t the only unusual merchandise he’s taking time to highlight in the campaign.

Last month, Trump revealed similar licensed merchandise at SneakerCon in Philadelphia – a gold “Never Surrender High-Top” with a “T” emblem, wrapped with an American flag on the collar.

This appearance was the latest example of Trump’s campaign mixing with his business ventures, where he autographed some of the high-top sneakers and took the stage to praise them while delivering campaign remarks.

The gold “Never Surrender High-Top” sneakers were sold online for $399.99, along with other Trump-branded shoes and fragrances.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump takes the stage to introduce a new line of exclusive footwear at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center, February 17, 2024, in Philadelphia.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Like the God Bless the USA Bible, Trump shoes and fragrances are licensed to use his name and trademarks, but are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Trump and the Trump Organization, according to the “Trump Sneakers”.

Both the God Bless the USA Bible and Trump sneakers were licensed to use Trump’s branding through a company called CIC Ventures LLC, which, according to Trump’s financial disclosure report, is 100% owned by Donald J. .Trump Revocable Trust.

CIC Ventures LLC, that supposedly stands for “Commander In Chief Ventures”, it is the same entity through which Trump appears to have received millions of dollars in royalties for the book “Our Journey Together”, a compilation of photos by Trump’s official White House photographer, published by Gold Standard Publishing LLC and sold by the publishing company co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. Winning Team Publishing.

In the former president’s financial disclosures, the royalties are disclosed under the name “A MAGA Journey,” which was the original title of the book.

Donald Trump also raises millions of dollars in speaking fees through CIC Ventures LLC every year, his disclosure reports show.

According to the Florida entity registration application, CIC Ventures was once run by former Trump White House adviser Nick Luna and is currently represented by Trump lawyer John B. Marion.

Former Republican President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at a campaign rally, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio.Jeff Dean/AP

Trump and his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, together also raised at least $700,000 from Trump-branded digital trading cards — which are a version of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. Some of the Trumps’ digital trading cards resemble him as cartoon characters, like a superhero, while Melania Trump’s cards feature watercolor paintings of her, as well as flowers.

Last year, amid Donald Trump’s mounting criminal charges — all of which he denies — he leveraged his Georgia indictment by promoting digital trading cards with his Fulton County Jail booking photo for $99 each.

The website on which the cards were sold also offered some customers the option to win a physical trading card featuring a piece of the suit he wore in the booking photo, as well as the opportunity to dine with him at his Mar-a-Club. Lake.

The trading card website said the cards were not affiliated with the campaign. But the Fulton County photo is something the Trump campaign has also capitalized on. raising more than US$9 million a few days after the photo was released, selling various merchandise such as coffee mugs, t-shirts and posters.

Over the years, Donald Trump has made profits from licensing his brand in several other businesses, including projects in foreign countries such as China, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Fuente