A Donald Trump indictment coin has been slammed as "poor taste" by supporters and even critics of the former president following his arraignment.
Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy expressed his dismay on Twitter after he commented on a video which showed the White House gift shop promoting the "limited edition" coin calling it his "outrage of the week."
Mr Cassidy said: "Whatever you think about it, whatever party you are, you’ve gotta admit that it’s poor taste, that it’s capitalizing upon something without his permission. Have a sense of decency, White House Gift Shop."
The senator said the $100 coin, which is soon to be released in September, was due to coincide with the former president's recent federal indictment over classified documents.
Trump, who appeared in court in Miami on Tuesday, faces 37 federal charges, including violations of the Espionage Act, making false statements, and conspiracy regarding his mishandling of classified material after leaving office.
The gift shop is also selling a $100 coin commemorating Trump's earlier indictment on state charges in New York for allegedly falsifying business records.
The White House gift shop is not affiliated with the White House where President Joe Biden works.
It is, however, a private company with an online store that sells White House-themed coins, hats, keychains, ornaments and other trinkets.
It is unclear whether Mr Cassidy was aware the shop is not connected to the White House.
According to a spokesperson for Mr Cassidy, the tweet came from his campaign account and not his official government account.
He referred to a story last year which was debunked after President Biden had "dedicated two commemorative coins" to President Zeleknksyy.
Those, too, were sold by the private gift shop and not the White House.
Although the store may have been associated with the White House when it was created in the 1940s, the shop's CEO said "that is no longer the case."
Mr Cassidy isn't the first politician to affiliate the White House and the shop — Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) was outraged in 2020 that the gift shop was planning to produce coins commemorating the Covid pandemic.
Mr Sanders tweeted: "If the White House Gift Shop is going to produce $100 COVID-19 coins, Trump can sure as hell utilize the Defence Production Act to manufacture the gloves, gowns, and masks our medical workers desperately need."
Republican Mr Cassidy was just one of seven GOP senators to vote to convict Trump on his impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
He said at the time: "Our Constitution and our country is more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty.”
