# Pro-Trump T-shirts at Resorts **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 26, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827 "2025-05-26T20:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/121 "2026-08-01T01:32:27Z")
Not resort-related (our town is not exactly a vacation destination), but it strikes me that the last time I saw a MAGA hat or any Trump gear was at least two years ago, on someone walking into the Rural King.\* And this is a red county in a very red state. \*Rural King is a sort of redneck Wal-Mart. Not too many with 🌈 hair, but lots of tattoos. \*\*I’ve had a fantasy of Mrs. J. and I waiting at the front desk at a restaurant to be seated, with a group behind us including dolts wearing MAGA gear. When the receptionist asks if we’re all together, I say “Oh HELL no.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/122 "2026-08-03T23:14:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > but it strikes me that the last time I saw a MAGA hat or any Trump gear was at least two years ago, on someone walking into the Rural King.\* I’ve seen one in the last few years. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*Rural King is a sort of redneck Wal-Mart. 🫪 Umm… My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/123 "2026-08-14T13:31:52Z")
Article about a dying Trump store. > **[If You Want to Know How Trump 2.0 Is Really Going, I Suggest a Visit to the...](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/08/trump-popularity-superstore-tennessee-dying-polls.html)** > > Recently, the retailer gained notoriety for a new sign. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/124 "2026-08-16T15:10:27Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Article about a dying Trump store. Paywalled. Here’s an article about the ‘superstore’ I found. > **[Massive Trump merchandise store goes out of business - because nobody is...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/massive-trump-merchandise-store-goes-221004893.html)** > > ‘We’re not busy anymore,’ one employee of the Trump store admitted > [T]he shop is selling off its remaining inventory at a 50 percent discount, _[Slate](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/08/trump-popularity-superstore-tennessee-dying-polls.html)_ reports. It’s going out of business, and its owner, identified as William 'Bill" Hays, admitted the closure is due to lack of customers. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/125 "2026-08-16T15:46:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Paywalled. It isn’t for me. And I’ve never been a subscriber. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/126 "2026-08-16T15:55:31Z")
> # Join Slate Plus to keep reading: “If You Want to Know How Trump 2.0 Is Really Going, I Suggest a Visit to the Dying Trump “Superstore”” > > Subscribe to stay ahead of what’s happening, why it matters, and what’s next. **Try 3 months for just $5 per month.** Cancel anytime. > > **Join Slate Plus** > > Already a member?[Sign in here.](https://slate.com/sign-in?redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fslate.com%2Fnews-and-politics%2F2026%2F08%2Ftrump-popularity-superstore-tennessee-dying-polls.html) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/127 "2026-08-16T16:01:55Z")
Here’s the story referencing to it that I originally saw. > **[Tennessee superstore's sudden closure slaps MAGA with existential threat](https://www.rawstory.com/trump-superstore-knoxville/)** > > A roadside "Trump Superstore" off Interstate 40 near Knoxville, Tennessee, is shutting down — and it's a shock for MAGA.Despite a local news report attributing the shutdown to the 80-year-old owner's retirement, on-the-ground reporting suggests a... ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/128 "2026-08-24T16:53:25Z")
Everybody typically gets one or two “freebies” before requiring you to subscribe. If you’ve already used yours, you can usually reset this by deleting all of your cookies associated with that website. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/129 "2026-09-29T16:28:18Z")
I’ve been looking online, and I see lots of “Lake America” T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats. Of course, I also see plenty of “Lake Ontario”, “Lake Ontario Forever”, “Lake Ontario and Gulf of Mexico” merchandise, too. I can’t tell which type is more popular from their representation online. And I suspect a lot of people buying “Lake America” merchandise are non-Trumpers buying it ironically, or as ironic gifts for friends. And it’s too late in the season to do a survey at resorts, at least where I live. Is anybody seeing “Lake America” stuff for sale on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in upstate New York? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/130 "2026-09-29T19:49:47Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Is anybody seeing “Lake America” stuff for sale on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in upstate New York? I saw a ‘Gulf of America’ shirt on a guy as I snaked through the security line at an airport. I wanted to slap him everytime we passed each other. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/131 "2026-09-29T21:12:30Z")
That might have gotten you moved up to the front of the line. Well, Out of the Line at least. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/132 "2026-09-29T21:24:03Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I saw a ‘Gulf of America’ shirt on a guy as I snaked through the security line at an airport. I wanted to slap him everytime we passed each other. Or surreptitiously tape on him, underneath the slogan, a placard saying _“is between my ears”_. Harder to do if the slogan is on the front of the shirt rather than the back, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/133 "2026-10-04T19:28:47Z")
Well, I thought that the local Turnip Truck would have started up in earnest in the run up to the election but thankfully it was closed even when I passed it this afternoon. I think in the past 6 months I’ve seen it open twice in dozens of times of passing it, and with no customers in line either of those times. Sadly, in the preceding few years that it had been in business, there were occasionally people at it browsing the goods. Maybe that’s a good sign that red hat fatigue has finally kicked in. Hopefully this will translate into casual pro-trumpers becoming disenchanted rather than rabid ones becoming casual, because even a casual maga gets one vote, but I guess we will find that out in a month. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/134 "2026-10-07T14:48:55Z")
A CNN report finds that business has slowed to a trickle at a MAGA merchandise store: > # **CNN Goes Inside A MAGA Merch Store And Finds Trouble For Donald Trump** > > Sales have plummeted at the pro-Trump store, where even some loyal customers voiced their frustrations. > > **[![Lee Moran|100x100]** > > **By Lee Moran** > > Oct 7, 2026, 05:50 AM EDT > > | > [CNN] found signs of potential trouble for [Donald Trump] in an unlikely place ― a store dedicated to selling MAGA merchandise. > > During a segment that aired Tuesday on [Anderson Cooper](https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/anderson-cooper)’s show, correspondent Elle Reeve returned to Whitey Taylor’s Trump Town USA store in Boones Mill, Virginia, where she discovered business has slowed dramatically since her first visit in 2023. > Taylor, who said Trump-themed merch has made him millions of dollars over the years, told Reeve that the store’s previous $12,000 to $15,000 sales days have dwindled to around $1,500 to $2,000. > > He suggested Trump supporters “are mad at the president,” although he predicted business would eventually rebound after Trump leaves office and that he’d be able to cash in via a Trump dynasty: > > “People ask me all the time, ‘Oh, so when are you going to close?’ You know, I said 2040 [because it gives] all the Trump kids time to run through the office first.” > **[CNN Goes Inside A MAGA Merch Store And Finds Trouble For Trump](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maga-shop-owner-donald-trump-cnn_n_6ac5cdbbe4b028b057cbcd09?origin=home-latest-news-unit)** > > Sales have plummeted at the pro-Trump store, where even some loyal customers voiced their frustrations. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/135 "2026-10-07T15:28:02Z")
> [@](#): > > “People ask me all the time, ‘Oh, so when are you going to close?’ You know, I said 2040 [because it gives] all the Trump kids time to run through the office first.” Homer: This year, I invested in pumpkins. They’ve been going up the entire month of October, and I predict they’ll peak right around January! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/136 "2026-10-07T15:33:28Z")
Disco Stu: Did you know that disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976? If these trends continue… aayyy! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/137 "2026-10-07T19:36:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > “People ask me all the time, ‘Oh, so when are you going to close?’ You know, I said 2040 [because it gives] all the Trump kids time to run through the office first.” Fifty bucks says that this guy back in 2016 was one of the Trumpies loudly proclaiming how unAmerican it would be to establish a political “dynasty” by voting for Hillary Clinton a mere decade and a half after her husband had been President. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827/138 "2026-10-07T22:50:10Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Fifty bucks says that this guy back in 2016 was one of the Trumpies loudly proclaiming how unAmerican it would be to establish a political “dynasty” by voting for Hillary Clinton a mere decade and a half after her husband had been President. It’s awful bold of you to assume he understands a word like dynasty. “You mean the television series?” But your point stands, Trump supporters tend to vehemently oppose many things unless it’s Trump doing it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-trump-t-shirts-at-resorts/1018827.md?page=6)