MAGA merch shops across the country close as Trump 'peaks'

On Monday, a new report revealed a rising crisis in MAGA world. According to the Guardian, stores selling merchandise focused on President Donald Trump are closing across the country as “political reality” sinks in among his supporters: the lame duck president’s era is coming to an end.

“MAGA retailers find themselves confronting a challenging political reality,” writes the Guardian. "That the president is an unpopular lame duck with no reelection campaign on the horizon to fuel sales.” As Ron Solomon, who runs the online retailer MAGA Mall, told the outlet, roughly 20 stores across the U.S. sell Trump merchandise, but over the past year, at least four stores nationwide have shut down, including in states where the president overperformed in 2024.

“He's no longer a viable business model for entrepreneurs because he has peaked,” explained Wes Alker, a Trump supporter who frequented a store in Pennsylvania. According to the Guardian, the closures come amid a wider sales slump for MAGA merchandise, as retailers selling hats, T-shirts, and other items bearing the president’s likeness and slogans have seen a steep sales decline. Some retailers blamed economic conditions, with inflation driving up prices even for official Trump merchandise. Trump’s approval rating has plunged to historic lows in recent months as voters have become increasingly angry with cost of living issues and the ongoing Iran war, the consequences of which have spiraled out with no clear end in sight.

The MAGA merch sales drop, however, began even before the president’s approval cratered. In January, the Trump Store in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, announced it was ending its brick-and-mortar operations after six years in business. “The store has kind of run its course,” explained owner Mike Domanico. “You know, it's been six years and the elections are over. Trump's not gonna be in another election, even though he'll be part of it.” David Russell, who frequented the store, noted, “Most of the stuff they sell was to promote Trump. He's already in this last term. You can't do much more for him than he's already gotten.”

A Trump superstore near Knoxville, Tennessee, closed later in the year, and owner Bill Hays said outright that some of the president’s policies – like the DOGE spending cuts – had hurt business. He also mentioned that some customers were choosing to have their purchases bagged instead of wearing their new Trump gear out of the store. “People were not wearing their colors, so to speak, like they did before the [2024] election," Hays said, noting that his sales had plummeted to $20,000 a month from a high of $200,000. “After the inauguration, I think a lot of people felt that their job was done,” he said.

But a few MAGA shops are still staggering on. Rob Cortis, who runs the Trump Unity Bridge Shop in Michigan, told the Guardian that he doesn’t plan on closing. “There’s still the chance that Trump always pulls rabbits out of his hat,” he said. “Is he gonna run in 2028?”