According to Mr. Mercuri, the idea to sell suit swatches came from NFT INT and was inspired by the way sports figures sell pieces of their jerseys to fans. Mr. Trump was receptive to the proposal and generously gave the suit to NFT INT. He believed that members of the public would want to have a piece of history.

The suit was authenticated by MEARS, a company specializing in validating sports memorabilia. MEARS verified certain design elements of the garment against photos and video, including pocket placement, buttons, and the collar of the suit jacket, which Mr. Trump had sewn down in the back to keep it in place.

Selling the suit tracks with other examples of fan culture. There is an insatiable public appetite for souvenirs of the famous and infamous, and often the most valuable pieces of memorabilia at auction are determined by provenance.

Auctioning memorabilia from public figures, including presidents, has been a long tradition. Despite Melania Trump selling one of her White House outfits as part of her NFT drop, it is almost unheard-of for a living president to hawk his own memorabilia for his own profits. As a licenser, Mr. Trump would probably receive a percentage of sales.

This creates an interest in dividing the suit into as many pieces as possible, both financially and conceptually.