President Joe Biden’s decision to coin what he hoped would be a mocking nickname for Trump supporters has turned into an uber-blockbuster for the former president’s fundraising team.
“Ultra MAGA,” which to anyone not in the Biden White House was seen as a colossal compliment to Trump backers, has exploded as a fundraising phrase for former President Donald Trump.
Days after Biden first used it to insult those who supported Trump’s “Make America Great Again” message, the Trump team printed up gear with the “Ultra MAGA” phrase, and the merchandise flew off the shelves.
Sources told Secrets that nearly 5,000 “Ultra MAGA” items were sold at the online Save America PAC store, and over 10,000 were donations solicited in less than three weeks.
For example, a T-shirt showing Trump as Superman under “Ultra MAGA” outperformed other sales by 364%, and sales of koozies and pint glasses with the phrase on them also sold fast.
“Joe Biden and the Democrats spent six months coming up with ‘Ultra MAGA,’ and it’s just about the only thing they’ve done that Americans have embraced,” said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington.
She also told us: “Biden’s incompetence, coupled with the unprecedented demand for President Trump and his leadership, continues to drive massive support for Trump’s political efforts across the country. 2022 is shaping up to be an ‘Ultra MAGA’ year at the ballot box.”
Biden first used the phrase last month when he started attacking Republican Sen. Rick Scott’s economic plan. According to reports, the White House had a team of PR experts, including top party communicator Anita Dunn and the left-wing Center for American Progress Action Fund, working on the phrasing for six months.
Over a week, Biden used the phrases “Ultra MAGA” and “MAGA King,” believing his team’s view that the country hated it. But it turned out that many loved it and were proud to adopt it — just like they did after Hillary Clinton’s sneer at Trump supporters as “deplorables.”
And now they are paying $38 for an “Ultra MAGA” Trump T-shirt, if they can find one.
Ron Bonjean, a founding partner of ROKK Solutions, a public affairs firm, and a former GOP spokesman, said that the Trump team should send a thank you note to Dunn and Biden.
“The Biden catchphrase took six months of research for Democratic organizations to cook up, and all it succeeded in doing has been to fill up the coffers of the Team Trump campaign with new merchandise. If I were the Democrats, I would send Trump an invoice to see if they can make some of their money back from this branding exercise,” he told Secrets.
Trump’s Save America PAC isn’t letting up on the boon. In a new email to supporters, the organization warned that the koozies were selling fast.
“You’ll see a lot of FAKE merchandise out there. But this is the only OFFICIAL way you can support President Trump and get Official Trump Merchandise,” read a newly sent email. It added, “We just received a shipment, but they are already FLYING off our shelves. We are holding a set for you, but our supply is extremely limited.”
Reporting from The Washington Examiner.
