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TOPLINE
The distributor behind Trumpy Bear—a $40 plush teddy bear resembling President Trump, and advertised on cable channels like Fox News—told Forbes Tuesday that they’ve received hundreds of threats over the product, including death threats, and that one threat was worrying enough to prompt an FBI investigation.
A still from a Trumpy Bear commercial.
Exceptional Products, Inc.
KEY FACTS
Elliott Bracket, vice president of marketing company Exceptional Products (known for “as-seen-on-TV” gadgets and gizmos, like the HairDini hairstyling tool) oversees Trumpy Bear’s promotion and distribution, and told Forbes that people will leave threats —including death threats—on their office voicemail, or sometimes by email.
“We had one [death threat] that we had to refer to the FBI,” Brackett said, adding, “he said we should die and the president should be assassinated.”
That man, who remained anonymous, Brackett said, called every phone in the office and left a death threat on each employee’s voicemail.
“The authorities paid him a visit,” Brackett claimed, and alleged that the man was placed on the Secret Service threats list in case Trump ever visits the town where he lives.
“When you get down to it it’s a fricken teddy bear,” Brackett said, adding that he believes people react strongly to the product because “Donald [Trump] is somebody that just draws extremes of emotions.”
The FBI and the Secret Service did not respond to requests for comment by Forbes.
Crucial quote
“We’re not a PAC. We sell a product,” Brackett said. “It’s just a goof that people like and people like to hate.”
Big number
10. That’s how many threats Exceptional Products has received over Trumpy Bear that were referred to law enforcement, Brackett said.
Surprising fact
Brackett said people often think Trumpy Bear is a joke or a parody, and not a real product available for purchase. Fact checking website Snopes has a page dedicated to proving Trumpy Bear is real.
Key background
A 2017 Trumpy Bear commercial opens with a voiceover proclaiming, “A storm is coming.” Speculation on Twitter linked the phrase to the QAnon conspiracy theory, whose followers believe Trump is battling a “deep state” group of liberal politicians, government officials and Hollywood celebrities that are running a global sex trafficking ring. To QAnon believers, “the storm” refers to a time in the future when Trump will round up the alleged “deep state” and arrest them, in a sort of global reckoning. Brackett said the 2017 Trumpy Bear commercial predated QAnon, which a 2018 story on the toy by Wired confirms. Trumpy Bear inventor V.L. Lange was referencing the Bible with “a storm is coming,” Brackett said. Lange did not respond to a request for comment by Forbes. But, according to the International Bible Society, storms are mentioned in at least 80 passages throughout the text. Brackett refused to disclose sales numbers for Trumpy Bear because they’re a private company. He did say, however, that sales of the bear bumped up in March, which he attributed to more people staying home due to the coronavirus pandemic and seeing Trumpy Bear commercials on TV.
Further reading
How Trumpy Bear Divided the World—and Conquered the Internet (Wired)
Is Trumpy Bear Real? (The Cut)
‘The Storm Is Here’: GOP House Candidate Tweets QAnon Rallying Cry After Trump Retweets Her (Forbes)
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