Trump said trial kept him from campaigning — but he’s using day off to dine with NFT buyers

08 May 2024

After each daily break in his criminal trial proceedings, former President Donald Trump frequently complains that Judge Juan Merchan requiring him to be physically present is unfairly preventing him from being on the campaign trial. But on his days off, he's rarely seen campaigning.

"I'm sitting in a courthouse all day long, listening to this stuff," Trump said last week. "I'm supposed to be in Georgia, I'm supposed to be in New Hampshire, I'm supposed to be in Ohio and lots of other places."

However, Axios recently reported that Trump is spending Wednesday — in which trial proceedings are paused — not hitting the campaign stump in swing states, but having dinner with NFT (non-fungible token) buyers in Palm Beach, Florida. The publication further reported that the former president has no other events scheduled for the day.

A dinner invitation obtained by Axios shows that Trump will be meeting personally with people who bought at least 47 NFTs featuring his Fulton County, Georgia mugshot (buyers were also given pieces of the suit Trump wore when the mugshot was taken). The NFTs sold for $99 apiece, so the buyers given a personal audience with the former president will have paid at least $4700 apiece for the dinner.

NFT buyers who spent at least $10,000 on buying 100 or more NFTs were also invited to a VIP cocktail reception with Trump to take place prior to the dinner. The VIP attendees will receive a piece of the suit as well as a part of the tie Trump wore.

"Images on the NFTs range from the mugshot itself to an illustration of Trump in a cowboy hat to a cartoonish image of an ultra-fit Trump with lightning bolts in his hands and 'America's Superhero' written underneath," wrote Axios' Sophia Cai.

One NFT buyer named Jordan (who asked for his last name not to be used) isn't even able to vote. He's flying from his home of Winnipeg, Canada to Florida for the event, telling Axios that he saw the meeting as simply "an opportunity to meet President Trump."

Trump's trial proceedings will continue on Thursday, and will pick up where it left off with adult film star and director Stormy Daniels' testimony. Daniels — born Stephanie Clifford — was brought onto the stand this week to recall her sexual encounter with Trump at a casino hotel in Lake Tahoe, and recalled that Trump offered her a role on his reality show, The Apprentice, implying that she would be cast if she slept with him.

The former president will likely not face any other trials prior to Election Day. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith's two federal trials are on hold, after the classified documents trial was indefinitely postponed by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday. The Supreme Court has also put the DC election interference case on ice as it weighs its response to Trump's argument of absolute criminal immunity for official acts committed as president. The Court is unlikely to rule on that case before its term ends in June.

Additionally, Trump's election interference trial in Georgia will almost certainly not happen before the election, after the former president's interlocutory appeal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis being allowed to remain on the case was granted. That appeal will likely take several months before a conclusion is reached, and if the appellate court sides with Willis, a trial date will still likely not be set until several months later.

Click here to read Axios' report in full.

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