Donald Trump tells emergency workers they can sell his autograph for $10,000

 

Donald Trump has told emergency service workers responding to Hurricane Laura they could sell his autograph for $10,000.

The US president was in Lake Charles, Louisiana, yesterday where he surveyed the damage and attended a briefing with local officials.

After the meeting, Mr Trump sat down and began signing autographs for some of those in attendance, telling one group of people: ‘Come here fellas, get over here. I want a little power.’

Handing over an autographed piece of paper to one official, he tells him he could go on to sell it for $10,000.

He said: ‘Sell this on eBay tonight, you’ll get $10,000.’

He said to another local official he would not personalise the autograph by addressing it to him because it would ‘lose a lot of value’.

Mr Trump’s autographs typically sell for a lower amount on eBay but some items of memorabilia can fetch thousands of pounds. 

Hurricane Laura swept through Louisiana earlier this week and was a category-four storm when it made landfall.

At least 14 people were killed by the storm – 10 in Louisiana, four in Texas.

Thankfully, the storm missed more populated areas, but at least 8,000 homes were still destroyed. A further 14,000 people sought shelter and some 400,000 homes are without power.

Mr Trump said the loss of life was a ‘tremendous number’, but added it ‘could have been a lot worse’.

He said: ‘One thing I know about this state, it rebuilds fast.’

The president’s visit to Louisiana came on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.