As the U.S. election approaches, merchandise, including t-shirts and cards featuring images of former President Donald Trump bleeding after being shot, is flooding the online market.
According to foreign media outlets such as The Washington Post (WP), on the 15th, more than 1,000 items, including posters, t-shirts, and hats, were found when searching for Donald Trump’s assassination on Etsy, an online shopping mall specializing in handmade goods.
Sellers are marketing products with slogans such as “Bulletproof Trump 2024,” “Gunshots only make me stronger,” and “I’m grazed but not phased.”
On the 13th, conservative commentator Candace Owens promoted the t-shirt on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “I just threw out all my son’s Superman and Batman memorabilia. I’m replacing it with bloodied Trump photos and figurines. Don’t @ me.”
At noon that day, two of Amazon’s best-selling clothing items were black t-shirts featuring images of Trump being shot.
Some of the merchandise is reportedly being sold by supporters aiming to support Trump’s re-election efforts following the assassination attempt.
Conservative YouTuber Hodge Twins posted a sales link on X, explaining, “100% of profits from this shirt go to Trump’s campaign.”
In response, the Washington Post reported that individuals with no ties to U.S. politics, including Chinese sellers, are capitalizing on the situation by distributing t-shirts and related merchandise for profit.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that Trump supporters are trying to elevate his image to a martyr through t-shirts featuring images of the shooting. They compared this to t-shirts with Che Guevara, an icon of the Cuban revolution, and Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Furthermore, the NYT analyzed that since Trump, a businessman who understands the power of consumer culture, has long commercialized his reputation and name, these products may not be seen as exploiting his suffering.
Previously, the Trump campaign sold various products featuring his mugshot after he was indicted in Georgia on charges of overturning the election results.
Meanwhile, there are concerns that products using images of the shooting could face copyright issues.
Josh Gerben, a copyright lawyer in Washington, D.C., said that while using images of Trump’s shooting to create and sell products could cause copyright issues, the Trump camp must make a significant effort to suspend all online sales. Thus, he suggested they may produce their merchandise to raise campaign funds instead of raising issues.
