'Cautionary tale': Instant Pot's attempt to 'flatter' Trump backfires spectacularly

A private equity firm backing the manufacturer of one of the most popular kitchen appliances in America thought it had a plan to resolve an antitrust lawsuit and reduce its tariff exposure, but it backfired spectacularly, according to a new report.

New York-based private equity firm Centre Lane Partners wanted President Donald Trump's help with an antitrust matter and with tariffs. So, the company developed a line of MAGA-emblazoned products like a "Make America Great Again" Instant Pot. The company also planned to create Trump-branded snow globes, dinner plates, flatware, and bedsheets, with sales proceeds being donated to Trump's presidential library, The New York Times reported.

However, the firm forgot one important detail: They didn't get the Trump Organization's permission before they began creating the products. Centre Lane Partners also didn't offer to give Trump a cut of the deal, according to the outlet.

In response, Trump's lawyers threatened "appropriate legal action" if Centre Lane refused to halt production.

Times reporters David A. Fahrenthold and Ben Protess described the deal as "a cautionary tale about how not to exploit Washington’s new rules."

Trump's second administration has almost completely revamped power dynamics in Washington, D.C. Under previous administrations, the political process typically ran through letters, lobbyists, and lawyers.

Now, people who want access to the president have a variety of means to get there. For example, Trump held a dinner for the top holders of his cryptocurrency. He has also been responsive to public praise, the Times noted.

"In the past, this would have been an unusual arrangement: businesses rolling out product lines that flattered a president and funded his library, announced by a lobbyist they had hired to influence that president," Fahrenthold and Protess wrote.

"But in Mr. Trump’s second term, they echoed tactics that many people believed to have worked," they continued.

Read the entire report by clicking here.