24 May—Among the spam I regularly find in my email is a fair amount from arms purveyors, not limited to firearms. Yesterday I received this one from a knife seller:

Laser-etched with President Trump’s Slogan
Rapid Deploy—One Click Eject Mechanism
Triple Beveled Razor Sharp 420 Steel Blade
Massive 8” Length with 3.5” Blade
Perfect For Everyday Concealed Carry

YES! Send Me The TRUMP 2024 SAVE AMERICA Automatic Knife Now for 70% OFF!

The Trump OTF Knife is a rare collectible that is a must have for every true Patriot as a symbol of support for President Trump’s promise of putting America first always!

Celebrate FREEDOM & Claim Your Trump OTF Knife Today for 70% OFF!

OTF means “out the front.” When I was growing up in New York, we called these knives stilettos. All the boys had them or switchblades and carried our innocent armament to school. Openly. And I’m not talking about growing up in a tough neighborhood. I remember showing my stiletto to Red, the NYPD career crossing cop, who let me hold his revolver, after warning me to never point it at anybody or put my finger on the trigger. Ah, the good old days.

In Connecticut, it’s illegal to carry an automatic knife with a blade longer than 1.5 inches. It’s also illegal to carry any knife with a blade longer than four inches. Presumably that includes kitchen knives, as a chef’s knife can do as much damage as a Bowie knife. It’s Connecticut, after all.

What gobsmacked me about the email was the copy I’ve put in bold italics. And also the website. I have no idea whether the Trump campaign has any active participation in the knife promotion, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all—considering Trump’s base.

Incidentally, the website (which you won’t get from me) tells us that the knife is “designed in USA.” So we can only surmise where it’s made. And the price is revealed to the lucky buyers only after they’ve effectively pledged fealty to Trump, so I can’t give you details about that . . .