WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Is the White House selling "Donald J. Trump defeats COVID" commemorative coins?
ANSWER:
No. The coins are designed and sold by a private company called The White House Gift Shop, which was privatized in 2010.
SOURCE:
White House Gift Shop Website (Private Company, unaffiliated with the White House)
Tony Giannini, CEO of Giannini Strategic LLC
PROCESS:
Social media lit up on Sunday and Monday with claims that the White House was letting people preorder commemorative coins titled "HISTORIC MOMENTS IN HISTORY: PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP DEFEATS COVID."
Even actress Debra Messing and popular podcaster Ethan Klein (H3H3) tweeted out these claims.
While the coin itself is real, and costs $100, it is not being sold by the actual White House.
The White House Gift Shop is a private company as of 2010 and is not affiliated with the White House outside of its name.
On their website, they stress that the White House is not involved: “No government funds or resources, direct or indirect, are ever used in the operations of the White House Gift Shop.”
Our Verify researchers reached out to Tony Giannini, the CEO of The White House Gift Shop via email. He confirmed to us that he designed and is selling the "Trump defeats COVID" commemorative coin.
"I designed this coin before President Trump went to Walter Reed because the medical scenario/differential information indicated POTUS 45 would handily defeat COVID," Giannini told us in an email, explaining that this prediction is based on his perception and beliefs.
So we can Verify that the White House is not selling "Trump Defeats COVID" commemorative coins.