President Donald Trump’s name and likeness are often misrepresented by candidates running for public office to raise cash from donors and to persuade potential voters to believe they are supported by the former President.
Because so many “scammers” or individuals “falsely claiming some affiliation with President Trump and his campaign, the Trump campaign created a unique stamp or “Seal of approval” for candidates and committees “the President endorses or otherwise supports.”
President Donald J. Trump will grant the right to use his “Seal of Approval” to an exclusive group of candidates and committees that the President endorses or otherwise supports.
"The purpose of the Seal is to help President Trump’s donors distinguish between authorized uses of his name and likeness, and unauthorized uses including often times outright scams. It is intended to protect the President’s donors and supporters from illegitimate organizations falsely claiming some affiliation with President Trump and his campaign,” stated the Trump campaign.
In the contentious Republican primary race in Florida’s 11th congressional district, Rep. Daniel Webster has received the endorsement of President Trump and allowed to use the “Seal of Approval,” while his opponent, former State Rep. Anthony Sabatini has not.
Rep. Webster has been promoting images of himself and President Trump with the seal affixed, which The Floridian confirmed with Team Trump that Webster is permitted in doing so.
Sabatini, who is running again for the U.S. House of Representatives, this time against Rep. Webster, has also been using the President’s likeliness to promote his congressional campaign.
Sabatini has not used the official “Seal of Approval” Webster is allowed to use, but he is still posting a two-year-old image of him and Trump in social media posts and even billboards.
The image was taken in the spring of 2022 at Mar-a-Lago when Sabatini ran for congress in Florida’s 7th Congressional District.
He lost by 18 points to now Rep. Cory Mills (R).
The use of Trump’s likeness by unvetted or non-Team Trump candidates has always been frowned upon by Trump and his campaign, and are usually quick to address the issue with a cease and desist letter to the candidate of committee.
Here is the billboard in question (Courtesy of Anthony Sabatini’s LinkedIn account)
Sabatini has called Webster a “weak & spineless” Republican in Name Only (RINO), and questioned the veteran lawmaker’s use of the official ‘Seal of Approval.”
Could Sabatini’s use of his image with Trump on campaign literature and billboards be seen by potential voters as the former President endorsing him?
There is a reason candidates and elected officials use Trump’s likeness and its to try to drive home a campaign message.
“To fight this scam, President Trump’s Seal will now include the right to use his name and likeness in fundraising solicitations and other campaign communications. The Seal will be a powerful signal to President Trump’s loyal donors that the sender is on Team Trump, and is not a scammer.”
Sabatini’s bigger campaign issue appears to be cash flow, as the former state lawmaker raised a paltry $17,000 in Q1 of 2024, and only has about $100,000 to use against Webster in the August primary election.
On the other had, Webster has $598,946.72 in the bank, according to the FEC.
