Trump Claims Negotiating $5 Signature Sharpies, Maker Says It Never Happened

The president boasted about his thrifty negotiation tactics during a Cabinet meeting, but the company says the exchange never occurred.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 2:48am

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During a Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump spent several minutes describing how he negotiated with the head of Sharpie to get personalized $5 signature pens. However, the marker company said the conversation Trump described never actually happened.

Why it matters

Trump's tendency to embellish and fabulize stories has been well-documented, and this latest anecdote about negotiating with a private company further highlights his penchant for exaggeration, even in official government settings.

The details

Trump claimed he called the Sharpie company and asked if they could make the pens look more official by painting them black and adding his signature in gold. The company reportedly offered to give Trump the pens for free, but he insisted on paying $5 per pen. However, Sharpie's parent company, Newell Brands, said they have no record of such a conversation taking place.

  • During Thursday's Cabinet meeting

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, known for his tendency to embellish stories and make exaggerated claims.

Newell Brands

The parent company of Sharpie, the maker of the permanent markers Trump was discussing.

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The takeaway

This incident further highlights President Trump's tendency to embellish and fabricate stories, even in official government settings. While the president claimed to have negotiated a deal for personalized $5 Sharpie pens, the company behind the markers said no such conversation ever took place.