President Donald Trump’s New Jersey Generals owners’ jacket was just auctioned off for seven times the opening bid of $2,500, demonstrating his crossover appeal between sports and politics.
The white satin jacket sold for $18,658.68 at Gray Flannel Auctions, the sports-focused company told Washington Secrets.
“It’s exceptionally rare to see an item that so seamlessly crosses the worlds of sports, politics, and pop culture,” said Michael Russek, director of operations at Grey Flannel Auctions. “The response from collectors has been remarkable. This piece drew interest far beyond the traditional sports-memorabilia community, and that kind of crossover appeal is truly uncommon. It’s exactly what makes this jacket — and the story behind it — so compelling.”
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
After failing to buy an NFL team when he was a New York developer, Trump, in the mid-1980s, owned the New Jersey Generals in the rival United States Football League. According to Gray Flannel’s write-up of the jacket, he helped secure quarterback Doug Flutie to promote the league.
“Prior to the 1985 season, the Generals acquired Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Doug Flutie, signing him to a multi-million-dollar multi-year contract,” said the auction house. “In April 1985, Trump, under his pseudonym of John Barron, told the United Press International that Flutie had been signed following a verbal agreement between Trump and the other team owners that he would be partially reimbursed for Flutie’s contract. Trump stated, ‘People wanted me to get him for the good of the league.’”