What would happen if your president/prime minister introduced a line of personal merchandising during a press conference in his government office?
February 28, 2025
US president introduced a new line of merchandising in the Oval Office. Is this possible in your country?
16 comments
I don’t think it’s legal. they can’t be associated with any government contracts or be associated with any deals either.
I’d buy an official Frank-Walter Steinmeier bobble head on day one, not gonna lie. But seeing that one of our former Federal Presidents ultimately had to leave office in disgrace because he got a vacation paid for by a film producer, I don’t think that I get my Präsi-Merchandise anytime soon.
So we are stuck with the normal lobbyism and clandestine side hustles for politicians like every-boring-body else.
No problems. I am possessed with celebrity culture. Whether it’s on stage, TV, movie screen, or sports. I love it. And lately, politics.
It would probably get ridiculed if it includes more than a standard t-shirt or hoodie for election campaigns.
SHE would be ridiculed to hell and back. Whether or not it would be legal, I don’t know. But in any case it would be extremely bad taste.
It would also go against the *prime* minister being just that: The first minister in a government of equals. Not a wannabe king as in some countries.
Not the time or place, they would probably go through a media hell and be forced to resign eventually. As long as the optics are good, they might be able to advertise without consequence on some occasions.
To begin with they would need to be absolutely transparent too, if the media even gets a whiff of corruption or something legally questionable their whole career and public image is going to hell in that very instant. Even if it’s one of the employees doing something shady it would have direct ties to the politician. It would just be over for them.
Though I must admit we do have a lot of characters who have very questionable public image still hanging in politics. But the prime minister’s seat is still beyond their reach for good.
Our Swedish fäbojänta Ebba Bush did flex her falukorv in the last election … that is closest thing i can think of.
the would be ridiculed every minister and party member would be asked their opinion on it “do you think it is appropriate for the president to be selling merch from the White house”
Obvious conflict of interest for the Prime-Minister and of dubious legality. Almost certainly resulting in Parliamentary Censuring Motion or the Dissolution of Government by the President.
For the President I’m more unclear on the legality but it would also likely result in impeachment.
Theoretically, it is inappropriate and possibly illegal, but if he wanted to do it, it would be difficult to punish him for it. I think that both the Prime Minister and the President would not suffer any consequences apart from memes about them.
America likes SNL so much they decided to make everyday life an SNL sketch. Except it is awful. Because it is real life.
It would not be considered appropriate.
The president would almost certainly survive it, though. There would be a shitstorm, and a debate about the nature of the presidency and what can be accepted, but if he gave an explanation and apologized, he would remain in office.
For the prime minister, it could go either way. Like most European PMs, he leads a coalition government. It’s possible that his own party would want him to step down, and it’s even more likely that one of his coalition partners would lose confidence in him. However, this current government has had an “everything goes” attitude to a lot of things (e.g. racism) so it’s possible that they would accept an explanation, shrug, and move on like nothing happened.
I imagine it wouldn’t be legal in my country, I have certainly never heard of it before. To some extent it seems like it would even be a conflict of interest.
Its possible, tho the current guy is not the type who would even appreciate other making merch if him.
He’s an egomaniac, but not that type of egomaniac.
He didn’t even seem.very appreciative of the number two on the list for his city making a Reagan style logo for the municipal election. (He still ran for mayor as government negotiations were still going on during the municipal elections)
In Germany our Basic Law is very specific: Neither the chancellor and the federal ministers (Art 66) nor the Bundespräsident (Art 55) are permitted to have a profession, a job, any business or salaried public office besides the one.
16 comments
I don’t think it’s legal. they can’t be associated with any government contracts or be associated with any deals either.
I’d buy an official Frank-Walter Steinmeier bobble head on day one, not gonna lie. But seeing that one of our former Federal Presidents ultimately had to leave office in disgrace because he got a vacation paid for by a film producer, I don’t think that I get my Präsi-Merchandise anytime soon.
So we are stuck with the normal lobbyism and clandestine side hustles for politicians like every-boring-body else.
[We already have one.](https://thepaddybox.com/products/michael-tea-higgins-tea-cosy?srsltid=AfmBOopQwMWyu7mjcPY_c3YbjHM1bwfLvLiteZLeikq8sFaa20mnD65-)
No problems. I am possessed with celebrity culture. Whether it’s on stage, TV, movie screen, or sports. I love it. And lately, politics.
It would probably get ridiculed if it includes more than a standard t-shirt or hoodie for election campaigns.
SHE would be ridiculed to hell and back. Whether or not it would be legal, I don’t know. But in any case it would be extremely bad taste.
It would also go against the *prime* minister being just that: The first minister in a government of equals. Not a wannabe king as in some countries.
Not the time or place, they would probably go through a media hell and be forced to resign eventually. As long as the optics are good, they might be able to advertise without consequence on some occasions.
To begin with they would need to be absolutely transparent too, if the media even gets a whiff of corruption or something legally questionable their whole career and public image is going to hell in that very instant. Even if it’s one of the employees doing something shady it would have direct ties to the politician. It would just be over for them.
Though I must admit we do have a lot of characters who have very questionable public image still hanging in politics. But the prime minister’s seat is still beyond their reach for good.
Our Swedish fäbojänta Ebba Bush did flex her falukorv in the last election … that is closest thing i can think of.
the would be ridiculed every minister and party member would be asked their opinion on it “do you think it is appropriate for the president to be selling merch from the White house”
Obvious conflict of interest for the Prime-Minister and of dubious legality. Almost certainly resulting in Parliamentary Censuring Motion or the Dissolution of Government by the President.
For the President I’m more unclear on the legality but it would also likely result in impeachment.
Theoretically, it is inappropriate and possibly illegal, but if he wanted to do it, it would be difficult to punish him for it. I think that both the Prime Minister and the President would not suffer any consequences apart from memes about them.
America likes SNL so much they decided to make everyday life an SNL sketch. Except it is awful. Because it is real life.
It would not be considered appropriate.
The president would almost certainly survive it, though. There would be a shitstorm, and a debate about the nature of the presidency and what can be accepted, but if he gave an explanation and apologized, he would remain in office.
For the prime minister, it could go either way. Like most European PMs, he leads a coalition government. It’s possible that his own party would want him to step down, and it’s even more likely that one of his coalition partners would lose confidence in him. However, this current government has had an “everything goes” attitude to a lot of things (e.g. racism) so it’s possible that they would accept an explanation, shrug, and move on like nothing happened.
I imagine it wouldn’t be legal in my country, I have certainly never heard of it before. To some extent it seems like it would even be a conflict of interest.
Its possible, tho the current guy is not the type who would even appreciate other making merch if him.
He’s an egomaniac, but not that type of egomaniac.
He didn’t even seem.very appreciative of the number two on the list for his city making a Reagan style logo for the municipal election. (He still ran for mayor as government negotiations were still going on during the municipal elections)
In Germany our Basic Law is very specific: Neither the chancellor and the federal ministers (Art 66) nor the Bundespräsident (Art 55) are permitted to have a profession, a job, any business or salaried public office besides the one.