Michael Cohen, a former longtime personal lawyer for Donald Trump, says the former president is employing business strategies reminiscent of his time before running for the White House.
Cohen, who had a falling out with Trump after 2016, spoke to The Washington Post for a story Friday on the various money-making ventures the former president and his family have launched since he left the White House, including speaking events and merchandising.
“They would sell ice to an Eskimo signed by Trump if they could,” Cohen said of the efforts.
Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison for charges including campaign finance violations, said Trump’s current business strategies are reminiscent of his pre-presidency projects, including the defunct Trump University.
Trump University was a real estate investment seminar organized by Trump that ceased options after students sued for program misrepresentation. Trump ended up settling for $25 million. He also struck a series of branding deals that Cohen helped secure.
“All of this was presented to him and accepted because they flashed some cash in front of his face,” said Cohen of the current Trump efforts.
The Post reported that Trump made several million dollars on a recent speaking tour and has also lent his name and signature to other direct-to-consumer appeals from advisers. His wife, former first lady Melania Trump, has also auctioned off items online recently with payment in the former of cryptocurrency.
Trump has openly weighed running for president again in 2024, after attributing his 2020 loss to baseless claims of voter fraud. He still has a large following and significant support within the GOP, and has returned to holding rallies, including one in Arizona this month.
A spokesman for Trump told the Post that “unprecedented demand for President Trump, his thoughts, and his products continues to grow unlike anything politics has ever seen,” adding, “That demand will only expand further.”