Donald Trump’s campaign has spent more on hats than on polling

[highplainsdem]

Source: WP

According to the Federal Election Commission filings, Donald Trump's presidential campaign has spent $1.8 million on polling from June 2015 through September of this year (the most recent month for which data are available). The report also lists $3.2 million spent on hats.

Trump has probably spent more on hats than he has spent on direct mail. The campaign filings occasionally aggregate a few things from the same vendor under one line-item, so some of the hat spending was on collateral generally that includes some hats. (His campaign spent more than $2 million on a line-item that was exclusively hats, though.) Overall, Trump's spent about $15.3 million on collateral — shirts, hats, signs, etc. — more than he has spent on field consulting and voter lists and data.

He has spent at least twice as much on collateral as he has on payroll.

In one apparent concession to the traditions of running a political campaign, Trump has at least started spending more on ads. The FEC reports don't go into great detail about what is or isn't ad spending, so for our purposes we included things like direct mail, telemarketing services (which probably went to fundraising), the campaign's website and digital outreach and so on. You're welcome and encouraged to take issue with this categorization, but it seemed appropriate.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/25/donald-trumps-campaign-has-spent-more-on-hats-than-on-polling/

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Incompetent clowns. When will the supporters revolt at this half-assed campaign?

Good Lord.

[LonePirate]

2. He can sell the hats and merchandise at a mark-up for a hefty profit. He can't do that with polling.

[Andy823]

4. Exactly

The bottom line is always making a profit for Trump. He fleeced the sheep, and the GOP for every dime he could get, and he will continue to fleece the sheep that are to stupid to figure out he is pulling a con job on them.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Remember what the Con Job said months ago,

I'am in this to make money. Barnum was right,one born every minute.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Wearing a Trump hat advertises the fact you're insane. Why ask for trouble? Pity? n/t

[PSPS]

6. LOL. That's only because he doesn't own a "polling firm" he can skim profits from.

[greymattermom]

7. So that's like an indy band

spending more on merch than instruments, right?

[Cryptoad]

8. thats a lot of made in China Hats

[ailsagirl]

9. And such *attractive* hats, too

[RussBLib]

12. oooo, now Trump has a camo hat

I'm sure all the rubes out there will be climbing all over each other to buy the camo hat.

It sure does seem like Trump is just trying to make money off of this.

[GreydeeThos]

10. The polls are rigged, but the hats are washable

You can't collect polls, but you can collect hats.

In twenty years the experts will be evaluating presidential campaign memorabilia containing hats on Antique Roadshow.

[Scarsdale]

11. Donald Jr.

Has an interest in those hats. They are made by "a friend" of his. No doubt the profits are shared with the tRumps. The only problem I have with those hats is that I can still see most of tRump's ugly mug when he wears one. I wonder why Eric and Ivanka do not wear them?

[erpowers]

14. Where Are They Made

I would like to know where the hats are made. Are they made in America? I am asking because I heard a story, a few years ago, about a guy who makes caps with baseball logos on them. He stated that the hats are made in China in order for him to make more money. I am just wondering if the Trump hats are made in America, or China.

[erpowers]

13. Every Day

Every day it seems a new story comes out that shows why Donald Trump should not be President of the United States of America. He is not spending his money where it is most needed. That shows that he has poor judgement. You would think he would bring that poor judgement to the White House. You can give him a pass on paying more for hats than polling, but you have to say it is a bad decision to pay more for hats than field consulting, voter lists and data. The decision to pay more money for hats than voter lists, on its face, seems to be an especially bad decision. The only thing that would make paying less for voter lists than hat a good idea is if he can prove he was able to get the same information without paying for the information.