June 15, 2023
Online sellers are smitten with Jack Smith, creating and potentially cashing in on everything from mugs to baby bibs inspired by the special counsel who indicted former President Donald Trump, reports The Hill.
Smith’s glaring face is front and center on plenty of products that have popped up since he was appointed in November to investigate Trump’s handling of classified documents, as well as his actions in the wake of the 2020 election and surrounding the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Now, as Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, June 13, to 37 federal charges, sellers say demand is even higher for Smith-related souvenirs.
Scott Horner hawks a dozen items that double as odes to Smith on his website, classifiedshirts.com. His best-selling swag, Horner told ITK, is a play on the classic 1939 Jimmy Stewart film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Instead of Stewart’s grinning likeness, the $25 T-shirt features the special counsel’s stern-looking image.
The inspiration for the products, Horner said, came “from seeing the excitement of people who are following this case when they started learning about the credentials of Jack Smith.”
“I think people respect that Smith is not about politics, but a prosecutor that seek justice regardless of who the person is,” Horner said.
The Orlando-based merchant said he saw a boost following Trump’s latest indictment—selling about 1,600 Smith items since the special counsel’s appointment last year.
On Etsy, the shop LemonGoats is selling shirts bearing the words “Karma Is Jack Smith.”
The seller, located in Alabama, says that, after listing the $27 tee—which is a play on Taylor Swift’s song “Karma,” on Friday, June9, they “had the first sale within an hour.” Since then, sales have increased each day.
Other sites also peddle an assortment of Smith fan art. A “You don’t know Jack” design with Smith’s photo can be plastered on everything from $20 aprons to $31 baby blankets on Zazzle. “Jack Smith for President” shirts are for sale for $20 on RedBubble, along with a $3 “Jack Smith Democracy Defender” sticker that features a hand-drawn picture of the Department of Justice attorney.
“Meet Jack, Jack Smith. He knows what he’s doing,” a description for the sticker reads. “He knows what everyone has been doing. Justice is coming.”
The online Smith-selling craze harkens to 2017, when another otherwise obscure Department of Justice figure was quickly thrust into the spotlight. Robert Mueller, the special counsel who investigated Trump’s ties to Russia, became the “it” guy in the online marketplace and a favorite among the 45th president’s fiercest critics.
Mueller’s image appeared on countless products declaring everything from “It’s Mueller time” to “Merry Mueller holidays.”
Research contact: @thehill
