The era of the MAGA hat may be coming to a close, but a new, more in-your-face type of Trump swag is officially on the market — and it’s already making astounding moves on Amazon.
Saturday evening has gone down in history, not just for being the night of the almost-assassination of former President Trump, but also the date one of the most powerful photographs in modern political history of said assassination attempt was captured.
Trump was speaking on immigration at a packed campaign rally in Butler, Pa., when the would-be assassin’s bullets began flying towards the stage, one piercing the upper part of Trump’s right ear.
In addition to the former President’s wound, the shooter did kill ex-volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, who was shielding his daughter from assassin’s bullets. Two other people from the crowd were also injured.
The crowds shrieked and dunked. Trump quickly ducked down, and secret service members flooded over him. The horrific scene looked straight out of a movie.
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But, the moment Trump fell to the ground, photographers instinctively hurdled themselves toward the stage – pointing their cameras at the former President just as he stood back up, blood dripping down the side of his face, pumping his fist defiantly, an American flag as the backdrop.
The seminal image, shot by the AP’s Evan Vucci, has been quickly circulated across media outlets and is now being printed on shirts and other swag — driving record sales online.
AXIOS reported Amazon shoppers drove a 192,400% increase in sales of a T-shirt emblazoned with the now-iconic photo of former President Trump moments after an assassination attempt.
As of Tuesday morning, the “Donald Trump 2024 Survived Shot At Election Rally T-Shirt” on Amazon was the No. 1 bestseller in the “Men’s Novelty T-Shirts” category, even amid competing sales during Amazon’s tenth annual Prime Day event.
The classic fit tee is listed at $18.99 and is offered in multiple colors. A description of the item reads, “If you value Republican and conservative policies, then this is perfect for you. Together, we’ll take America back! Re-election. He’s untouchable and won’t be stopped.”
It’s not the only new piece of clothing that has drawn extraordinary sales on Amazon.
Almost the entire first page of the Men’s Novelty T-Shirt category is plastered with new Trump apparel — many smacked with writing like “Fight!,” “Never Surrender,” “You Missed,” and “Nice try, Brandon.”
Other best-sellers include posters, hats, stickers, and mugs featuring altered variations of the almost-assassination photo.
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Many of these products are marked “handmade” and belong to Amazon storefronts dedicated to Trump swag. Many have been placed in Amazon’s “movers and shakers” category.
Over the past two days (which has included Trump announcing Sen. JD Vance and author of Hillbilly Elegy as his running mate), hundreds of political commentators have expressed opinions on the impact of the image and its various replications, some raising concerns about its potential use as political propaganda.
Trump “will be greeted as a kind of martyr of this event, and I think it could be angrier or it could be more somber,” former Obama strategist David Axelrod said on CNN. “But it’s certainly not going to be the same.”
According to Google Trends, search interest in Trump shirts has increased by over 1,000% since the events unfolded on Saturday.
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