The attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump on Saturday has shocked millions worldwide and spurred a massive surge in merchandise sales.
Influencers were quick to capitalize on the incident. Conservative commentator Candace Owens is selling a shirt that reads “For God And Country,” featuring a depiction of Trump with his fist raised following the shooting. Similar merchandise is available from Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration official, and pro-Trump retailers like Trumpmagashop.com and The Trump Store.
The Hodge twins, conservative YouTubers and podcast hosts, have launched a line of products in response to the incident. They pledge that all profits from their shirts—including one reading “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and another with “You Missed F*ckers”—will support Trump’s election campaign.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, is promoting a shirt from Old Row that reads “If you come at the king you best not miss,” featuring an image of Trump standing triumphant after the assassination attempt. Portnoy’s company acquired Old Row in 2016.
Online marketplaces, such as Etsy and eBay, are flooded with related merchandise. On Etsy, a search yields over 1,000 results for items like shirts, stickers, and mugs. eBay shows more than 1,200 results, including at least one trading card.
A Chinese retailer began selling related products on Taobao immediately after the news broke, according to seller Li Jinewei, who reported over 2,000 orders within three hours.
Selling such merchandise has become a common practice for retailers aiming to profit quickly from widely publicized events. After a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the northeastern U.S. in April, a small retailer made over $9,800 from an “I survived the NYC earthquake” shirt in less than a day.
Following Trump’s arrest and booking by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in August 2023, the internet saw a similar surge in merchandise. Trump’s campaign, which has not yet released any related products from the assassination attempt, eventually joined in, as did political opponents. Even Green Day sold a ‘nimrod’ t-shirt for a limited time.
Trump is safe after the shooting, which resulted in the death of one spectator and critically injured two others. The alleged shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, is also deceased, according to the Secret Service. Trump is still scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee.