"One of the things we learned with this whole 'Cocaine Mitch' phenomenon is that people are really engaged, one of the staffers involved in the T-shirt sales said at the time. They want merchandise. That's certainly what Hillary Clinton's team seems to think: people want merch, even if it's linked to a notorious dead child sex offender."
"Clinton responded: If you guys are doing that, I am done, she said. You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. She has since slapped that line on cow-themed hats and shirts. You asked and we listened, a Facebook post from Clinton introducing the online store reads."
"According to the cow merch storefront, all proceeds will support groups and leaders working to defend our democracy, but that doesn't make it much better. Monetising sexual abuse isn't a good look. It could be said to be a particularly bad look when you are married to Bill Clinton."
Political merchandise has become increasingly tasteless, with figures capitalizing on scandals and controversial moments. Donald Trump's official store sells items referencing Joe Biden and his mugshot, while Mitch McConnell sold thousands of shirts playing on the baseless 'Cocaine Mitch' nickname. Hillary Clinton recently launched cow-themed merchandise featuring her defiant courtroom quote from Epstein-related congressional testimony. Staff involved in these campaigns claim high engagement and demand for merchandise. Clinton's store claims proceeds support democracy-focused groups, yet critics argue monetizing moments connected to sexual abuse cases represents poor judgment, particularly given Bill Clinton's own associations with Epstein.
#political-merchandise #scandal-monetization #campaign-fundraising #epstein-controversy #political-culture
Read at www.theguardian.com
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