Donald Trump slammed for promoting MAGA sneakers worth $180k during Iran conflict

Donald Trump is facing backlash for promoting $180,000 MAGA sneakers, amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.

We're now in day 20 of the conflict, which began on 28 February when the US and Israel sent strikes to Iran, killing its then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Since then, a number of other countries have been pulled into the fighting, and over 2,000 people have been killed in the Middle East, with the vast majority hailing from Iran. 13 military personnel from the US have also died.

The conflict is escalating sharply, and Iran's new supreme leader recently issued a fresh warning to the country's enemies after the death of security chief, Ali Larijani.

He said in a statement that 'every drop of blood has its price, which the murderous killers of these martyrs will soon have to pay'.

And while all of this is going on, on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social page, you'll find an advertisement for gold MAGA sneakers. Yes, really.

The ad was posted today (19 March) and shows a picture of the shoes, alongside the text, 'Rare Trump sneakers listed for $180k at sneaker con in Riyadh'.

One social media user shared a screenshot of the post on X alongside the caption, "Laser focused".

This is thought to be referring to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments at the beginning of the conflict, where he said that the 'mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused'.

Hegseth said at the time: "Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons."

Reacting to the new Truth Social post, one X user penned: "This is shameful. There are soldiers, families & loved ones of our military worried about an escalating war that will see boots on the ground & Trump, ever the selfish president, is promoting his merchandise."

The timing of the post has sparked criticism (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While a second wrote: "This was today? We’re in a war, and he’s pawning sneakers?" and a third agreed: "This would have been the undoing of a politician 10 years ago - just wild".

"This would headline every Fox News show for a week if Biden had posted something like this during a war with Iran that he started for absolutely no reason."

"He really cares about us, doesn’t he? He’s so worried about the soldiers and the economy, I can tell," sarcastically quipped a fourth.

While a fifth chimed in with: "Objectively. If this was my head of state in a time like this, and even in peacetime too, I would be both embarrassed and p***ed. How is this in any way important?"

The gold shoes are being flogged for $180k (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

And a sixth wrote: "Imagine your child was just brought home in a coffin yesterday and now he’s posting about gold SNEAKERS!"

"People are losing their family members in a needless war, and this MF is posting sneakers," angrily penned someone else.

And another disappointed social media user wrote: "Glad to see his priorities are focused on the betterment of the country!"

Tyla has contacted the White House for comment.