The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday shocked millions worldwide and spurred a surge in merchandise sales.
Influencers and commentators quickly capitalized on the incident. Conservative commentator Candace Owens has begun selling a shirt with the slogan “For God And Country,” featuring an image of Trump with his fist raised after the shooting. Similar merchandise is being sold by Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration official, and pro-Trump retailers including Trumpmagashop.com and The Trump Store.
The Hodge twins, right-wing YouTubers and podcast hosts, launched a series of products related to the incident. Profits from their five different shirts, including one that reads “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and another that says “You Missed F*ckers,” will go toward Trump’s election campaign.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, advertised a shirt from Old Row that reads “If you come at the king you best not miss,” featuring an image of Trump after the assassination attempt. Portnoy’s company acquired Old Row in 2016.
Online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay have seen a flood of related merchandise. A search on Etsy returns more than 1,000 items like shirts, stickers, and mugs, while eBay shows over 1,200 results, including trading cards.
Chinese retailers also joined the trend. Seller Li Jinewei told The Times of India that their store on Taobao received over 2,000 orders within three hours after the news broke.
Retailers often seize such opportunities for profit. After a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the northeastern U.S. in April, a small retailer made over $9,800 within 21 hours selling “I survived the NYC earthquake” shirts, according to CNBC.
Following Trump’s arrest and booking by the Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office in August 2023, a wave of merchandise hit the internet. Trump’s campaign, which has not released any products related to the assassination attempt, had previously offered products post-arrest, as did political rivals and even Green Day with a ‘nimrod’ t-shirt.
Trump remains safe after the shooting, which resulted in one spectator’s death and critically injured two others at the rally. 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.