In a sales pitch that absolutely no one has asked for, the White House Gift Shop is selling COVID-19 commemorative coins, emblazoned with slogans like “World vs The Unseen Enemy” and “Everyday HEROES Suited Up.” As the deadly virus continues to kill thousands of people and cripple daily life for most Americans, the privately-run White House store is asking buyers to fork out $100 (reduced from $125!) to commemorate the “historic moment.” One coin has an image of a COVID-19 spore superimposed on a world map, while a second coin features an empty White House podium with the names of the coronavirus task force members surrounding it including President Trump, Vice President Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and medical experts Drs. Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci. The shop—which is privately-run but was established by then President Truman in 1946 and says it is given exclusive trademark rights—said sale proceeds will be donated to hospitals. The coins are the eleventh in a “historic moment art series” that includes coins celebrating Trump’s meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin and another titled, “President Donald J. Trump: A Study in Genius.”
