Donald Trump has long been an innovator in the field of branded marketing and merchandise — everything from beef to bottled water has borne the vaunted Trump brand.

Despite this lifetime of branded sales pitches, the past few weeks have nevertheless seen a marked uptick in Trump-hawked items. Since late September, Trump has cut promotions for silver coins ("The ONLY OFFICIAL coin designed by me"), luxury watches ("These watches are truly special") and a cryptocurrency exchange ("We're embracing the future with crypto") — all on the heels of this year's "Never Surrender High-Tops" sneaker launch. 

With time quickly running out until Election Day, the Republican nominee's increased focus on commercial products seems a notable distraction. Additionally, by hawking self-branded products during a presidential race, Trump has once again muddied the ethical waters of fundraising and electioneering. 

What did the commentators say?
Many of the recent Trump-branded products are sold on websites that note "proceeds from their sales do not directly benefit Trump or his campaign," NY1 said. However, the products are "subject to a 'paid license agreement,'" which is the "same mechanism that allowed Trump, well before he entered politics, to profit for years from sales of everything from water, vodka and steaks." 

Trump is hardly the first president to earn a post-presidential living, however, no other "modern one-term president has seriously sought to reclaim his old job," Business Insider said. According to his recent financial disclosure forms, Trump has made more than $12 million "just by selling NFTs and books." 

"There's no precedent in history at all, and certainly not in modern history, for somebody who has monetized the office or running for office of president the way he has," former Office of Government Ethics general counsel Don Fox said to The Washington Post. His campaign "feels like it only exists to support his true passion: bringing back the late-night TV infomercial," said New York magazine.

What next?
With Kamala Harris showing signs of taking the lead in recent polls, the Trump camp "appears to be scrambling to make hay while the sun still shines," Vanity Fair said. As voters head to the polls, his focus on personal branding and sales may "also further a narrative that Democrats say resonates with voters: that the former president only cares about himself," The Washington Post said.

Ahead of the upcoming presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have starkly different tax proposals. Harris, the Democratic Party nominee, has recently released details about her economic agenda that help paint a more complete picture of what her administration's approach will be if she wins.

Tax credits dominate
One of the key points that Harris has reinforced is that her administration would not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year. Rather than proposing any kind of sweeping overhaul of the tax system, Harris' plans mostly rely on tweaks on the margins to deliver relief to families and businesses. 

The Harris campaign wants to make the structure of the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit, which was briefly distributed as a monthly direct cash payment in 2021, permanent. Researchers credited that expanded tax credit with a dramatic drop in child poverty, but it was allowed to expire at the end of 2021 when Democrats were unable to secure the votes to renew it. Harris has also proposed a new $6,000 tax credit for new parents and suggested an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which benefits lower income individuals and families. 

Raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy
Harris wants to raise the tax rate on corporations from its current 21% to 28%. Republicans, under President Donald Trump, had dropped that rate from 35% to 21%. Harris also supports raising taxes on wealthy Americans through a variety of schemes, including increasing taxes on the sale of stocks, bonds and real estate and putting a 25% tax on individuals with assets of over $100 million. 

The Harris tax plan seeks to make housing more affordable. It would offer incentives to developers to build new low-income housing through an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and the creation of a new tax credit, called the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit, to support building new homes or rehabbing existing housing stock in lower-income communities. Harris has also proposed a $10,000 tax credit and up to $25,000 in down payment support for "first-generation home buyers."