Recently, the Washington, D.C. gift shop “I Love DC Gifts” discussed the craze surrounding Trump merchandise among tourists visiting the capitol. Washington is typically a hot spot for year-round tourism, where large groups flock in by the busloads to get a glimpse of the city that governs America.
Khalid Ismail, a 30-year-old who quit a corporate job in Dallas, Texas, to help his father, Kadri, run the gift shop. “It’s literally like a hurricane,” the Washington Post reported. “They’ll just drop off 100 kids, 115 kids, 130 kids multiple times a day, every single day. … It’s a completely different level of busy.”
Often, groups of students embark on school field trips to Washington to complement their civics education, where they seek out commemorative items to remember their educational trip to the capitol. Reportedly, merchandise such as keychains, mugs, flags, and ornaments is in high demand, particularly when they are themed around politics.
“This fits my personality,” one boy said at another gift shop near the White House, as he donned a white bucket hat with Donald Trump’s name displayed across the front. Other students searched for memorabilia pertaining to political figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Ismail further explained that Trump memorabilia remains some of the hottest-selling items in their store where customers can’t get enough of Trump’s famous mug shot displayed on t-shirts or visors with his trademark hair sticking out of the top.
However, Ismail maintains that he and his family are apolitical, noting they are just providing customers with what is in high demand. “We have no horse in the race, politically. Like, we don’t care, but man — people love him,” he added. “Anything Trump-themed, anything with his name on it … people are buying it.”
Another D.C. entrepreneur, 56-year-old Luke Wilbur, used to own DC Gift Shop on Pennsylvania Ave. before he was forced to close the business during the pandemic. In Wilbur’s experience, he had far more success selling Republican-themed gear than Democratic memorabilia. According to the former gift shop owner, “Conservatives purchase more products by far.” He added that “when Trump has rallies, they’re all wearing the hats .. He’s a marketer … I mean, Trump was selling water.”
As the election approaches, former President Donald Trump appears to be garnering increasing amounts of support, especially after his controversial conviction in the hush money case late last month. The Epoch Times reported that the Trump Campaign and RNC raised roughly $141 million in May, where over a third of the donations were collected within 24 hours of the guilty verdict.
“Unfortunately for Democrats, their rigged political operation has backfired in a historic way, and Republicans are in a stronger position than [ever] to FIRE Crooked Joe Biden and Make America Great Again by electing President Trump on November 5,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and co-Chair Lara Trump said in a statement.
Furthermore, The American Tribune reported that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is even receiving financial backing from prominent figures in Silicon Valley, a traditionally liberal environment. David Sacks, a well-known figure in the tech space, illustrated how there was “tremendous turnout” at a Silicon Valley fundraiser for Trump.
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