Melania Trump has found a way to monetize her time in the White House. The former first lady has launched a blockchain-based cryptocurrency NFT (non-fungible token) art sale in coordination with French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. She is selling them via Parler, the social media platform that is home to countless white supremacists, white nationalists, and other far-right extremists. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports Parler was “a haven for recruitment and promotion for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol building.”
In a statement on Parler, Melania Trump says she is “excited for this new venture.” It claims a “portion of the proceeds…will assist children aging out of the foster care system,” but does not describe the “venture” as a non-profit, nor does it say how much of the funds raised will go to help children.
“Melania Trump is pleased to announce the Melania Trump non-fungible token (NFT) platform, which will release NFTs in regular intervals exclusively on MelaniaTrump.com. The first NFT, entitled ‘Melania’s Vision’ will be available to purchase for a limited period between December 16 and December 31, 2021,” the statement reads.
As of this writing the melaniatrump.com domain is offline.
“I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative. Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills, including programming and software development, to thrive after they age out of the foster community.”
“A portion of the proceeds from the Melania Trump NFT collection will assist children aging out of the foster care system by way of economic empowerment and with expanded access to resources needed to excel in the fields of computer science and technology,” the statement concludes. “The Melania Trump FT platform utilizes the Solan blockchain protocol; and will accept both the SOL cryptocurrency and credit card payments through MoonPay. Parler is powering the platform.”
Noting Trump’s entrance into the NFT world, Bloomberg News adds, “NFTs became hot this year, with celebrities, sports teams and artists trying to get into the action, and the likes of Ripple and Paris Hilton backing efforts to move the space forward.”
She also posted the statement to Twitter: