Business Analysis

“I am the Storm": Trumpy Bear’s second coming sparks intrigue

By Taylor Telford
November 12 at 2:30 PM

When Trumpy Bear first emerged from the ether — his arrival trumpeted via an infomercial — the public had its doubts. The combination of his crisply cuffed paws, roller coaster of a comb-over and alleged heroism were unbelievable. His mythos eclipsed him. ... Now, more than a year later, the furry stranger has been ushered back into the limelight by a new round of advertisements just in time for the holidays. But still, Trumpy Bear remains somewhat of an American mystery.
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I can't believe this commercial that just ran on Fox News is for real

Link to tweet

The TV spots say his coming was announced by whispers in the forest, warning of a coming storm. While the commercials specify that Trumpy Bear was born on Flag Day 2017, they do not explain why, although he is allegedly a “great American grizzly,” he stands only 22 inches high and sports business attire. The secret compartment in his neck (which stores an American flag blanket) is yet another puzzling anatomical departure from his kin.

“When President Donald Trump was elected to office as the first non-politician president, I felt it was time to name an American fearless grizzly bear after our new Commander in Chief,” the bear’s creator, V.L. Lange, from a company called Reel Vision, told Snopes in a “vision statement.” Legally, the bear’s trademark belongs to the Dallas-based Exceptional Products, that sells several other as-seen-on-TV products such as HairDini and Plaque Attack. ... Exceptional Products did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post about Trumpy Bear’s backstory and how many of the plush-pawed heroes it has sold. But the bear’s website hints at his rarity, urging customers to purchase Trumpy Bear lest they “miss out on owning a piece of American history.”
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While concerns about the bear’s background might be assuaged by the “Certificate of Authenticity” with which he is packaged, Amazon.com reviews suggest a gap between the televised version and the creature that now sits in an unknown number of American houses, calling into question the creature’s species and patriotism. ... (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.) ... “The flag on the one we received is NOT a U.S. flag,” one user wrote in June. “The stars are completely off and not at all like the one pictured on the listing.” Another user confirmed that the flag had only 33 stars. ... “This was stated that it ships from USA IT DOES NOT .... straight from CHINA,” another wrote in June.
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Taylor Telford is a reporter covering national and breaking news. Follow https://twitter.com/taylormtelford