Donald Trump is in the news again, and a lot of people are criticizing him online for what they call “embarrassing” and “childish” behavior. The 79-year-old Republican has done a lot of things that have upset people in the past, but what he did last week made even some of his usual detractors quite unhappy.
The backlash began quickly after Trump was accused of making U.S. troops do something “humiliating” during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. That one thing generated a lot of trouble. The most recent controversy is about how Trump acted strangely in front of world leaders just a few days later.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to the White House on August 18. Trump is said to have taken the moment to show off a collection of hats, many of which had messages on them that were connected to his political campaigns and personal brand. A White House employee who shared a video of the event online reported that Trump gave out hats with words like “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” “USA,” “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING,” “GULF OF AMERICA,” and maybe most controversially, “TRUMP 2028.”
People were upset immediately away when the clip got published on social media. People instantly filled Instagram and Twitter with comments making fun of the former president and stating his actions were inappropriate. Someone commented, “What a dumb joke,” and another person said, “This is a total embarrassment.” People remarked it was like “a kid showing off his toys” or “a kid giving guests a tour of his room.”
People reacted in different ways, from disbelief to revulsion. “It’s so embarrassing that it makes me sick,” one person stated. “These people must be laughing and laughing when they leave Trump.” Another person said they were angry and wanted it to end right away. “That man sells things, politics aside,” said another person.
That last comment might have something more to say. Over the years, Trump has turned his name into a real brand. He has a wide range of products for sale, including hats, golf clubs, apparel, and home goods. His products are a big part of how people see him and how he runs his campaign.
The “TRUMP 2028” hat is popular not just because it came out on a certain date, but also because of what it means in terms of the law. On Trump’s official website, the hat costs $50 and the “Trump 2028” shirt that goes with it costs $36. The product description says, “Your new favorite hat,” and it boldly says, “Made in America,” with embroidered details and a snap clasp. It’s odd that the official product page even gets “embroidery” wrong.
The slogan itself, along with the branding and the mistake, raises big legal questions. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States declares that no one can be elected president more than twice. Trump was the 45th President before, and now he wants to be the 47th President again. If he won again and ran in 2028, he would be defying the rules set by the Constitution.
The 22nd Amendment says, “No one shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no one who has held the office of President or acted as President for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
Even Still, Trump and some of his most loyal admirers have speculated about him running for a third term. If Trump ran for the 48th President, he would be 82 years old. He would have already been the 45th and possibly the 47th president.
Some people think the 2028 thing is just a marketing ploy or an inside joke, but a lot of other people think it’s another example of Trump breaching political boundaries and, in some cases, constitutional constraints. People are paying attention to it, even if they don’t believe it. The fact that it’s being sold as official campaign gear shows that it’s not just a joke.
Trump is still one of the most talked-about and controversial persons in American politics right now. Some people are impressed by how brilliant his marketing is, while others say he’s out of touch. It’s evident that everyone is watching everything he does, and the response, especially on social media, isn’t slowing down.