Trump's deals to sell Bibles, sneakers and perfume are unprecedented for a presidential candidate, experts say

• Donald Trump is promoting an array of products, including Bibles, sneakers and perfume, while he runs against President Joe Biden.
• Trump's business activity on the campaign trail is unprecedented, experts say.
• As the Biden campaign extends its fundraising lead over Trump's political operation, the GOP nominee has said he "might" put his own money into the race. He did not do so in 2020.

Sneakers. Perfume. Trading cards. Bibles.

Those are just some of the products Donald Trump is hawking while he runs to unseat President Joe Biden.

They join a sprawling catalog of Trump-branded merchandise, ranging from steaks to scented candles, that the businessman-turned-president has licensed over the years.

But as his campaign coffers dwindle and his fortune comes under threat, Trump — who has never completely severed his political career from his financial one — is now actively intertwining his business ventures with his White House bid.

"There is no precedent for this level" of business activity during a presidential campaign, Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig told CNBC, though "the trend has been building for many years."

Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director of money-in-politics watchdog Documented, agreed.

"I can't think of any other modern example of a presidential candidate hawking an array of goods for their private benefit," Fischer said.

For an average candidate, that activity might trigger a campaign finance investigation — but it likely won't for Trump, who has been selling branded goods long before he entered politics, according to Fischer.

"Trump is a unique case," he said.

That uniqueness was on full display Tuesday, as Trump unveiled his latest promotion: a $60 Bible that includes copies of the