Donald Trump launched his own sneaker brand a day after a New York judge ordered him to pay a $354.9 million fine for fraudulently inflating his net worth to defraud lenders.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” the former U.S. president said while unveiling what he called the first official Trump shoe at SneakerCon in Philadelphia, billed as “the greatest sneaker show on Earth.” he said. ”
He was met with cheers and loud boos, the Associated Press reported, adding that the smell of weed sometimes wafted through the room as he spoke. The news agency reported that the attendees were younger and more diverse than President Trump’s usual rally attendees.
The shoe, a shiny gold high-top with stars and stripes detailing on the back, is sold as the Never Surrender High-top on the new website for $399 and also includes Trump-branded Victory47 cologne and perfume. Each bottle sells for $99. If Trump is re-elected, he will become the 47th president.
Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts, although the website says it is not affiliated with the Trump campaign.
President Trump then slammed Judge Arthur Engoron, who on Friday ordered him, his eldest son, and colleagues to pay more than $354.9 million for deliberate financial fraud over a 10-year period. ordered to pay interest.
Addressing supporters for the first time since the ruling, the front-runner for the Republican White House told thousands of supporters at a campaign rally in Michigan that the decision was a “plot to interfere in the election.” Told.
The judge made unsubstantiated claims that he was part of a “leftist” conspiracy aimed at preventing him from becoming president again. It’s an attack on everyone,” he added. .
President Trump also repeated his lie that his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2020 election was due to election fraud.
Mr. Engoron also banned Mr. Trump from serving as an officer or director of a New York company for three years. “Their lack of repentance and remorse is pathological,” the judge said of Trump and his co-defendants.
New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses Trump and his family of companies of inflating Trump’s net worth by $3.6 billion a year over a decade to trick bankers into giving him better loan terms. did.
President Trump also faces four state and federal criminal trials, including one scheduled to begin March 25 in New York on charges of hush money payments to porn stars. This means Trump will become the first former US president to go on trial on criminal charges.
President Trump made the remarks shortly after his last remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, held an event in South Carolina.
On Saturday morning, Haley wasted no time in going after Trump following Friday’s ruling.
Haley has frequently said that the “chaos” that has befallen Trump and his myriad legal issues prevent him from being an effective president or candidate.
“He’s scheduled to be in court in March and April. He’s scheduled to be in court in May and June. Ms. Haley has said herself that she expects to spend more time in court than she did on the campaign trail.” Haley told Fox News.
Recent victories in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada have moved Trump closer to winning the Republican presidential nomination and raising the possibility of a rematch with Biden in the general election.
Haley sees no clear path to the Republican nomination and has refused to resign. She is making her last stand in her home state of South Carolina, which will hold its primary on February 24, but is lagging far behind Trump in the polls.
Haley also attacked Trump at a rally Saturday night for not commenting on the death of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. At the Michigan rally, Trump again did not mention Navalny.
Russian prison authorities announced that Navalny, 47, died on Friday at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the Arctic. Western countries, including Biden, condemned the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Western leaders did not cite the evidence.
Addressing a crowd in Irmo, South Carolina, Haley accused Trump of collusion with Putin in the past. She also cited President Trump’s Feb. 10 speech in which he said he would “encourage” Russia to do “whatever it wants” to NATO countries that don’t spend enough on defense. Stated.
“Mr. Trump stands by the thugs who murder his political opponents,” Haley said.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report
