Pro-Trump influencers and supporters rushed to distribute merchandise depicting Trump with blood on his face and his fist in the air, just hours after Saturday’s deadly shooting and attempted assassination.
On Sunday afternoon, far-right activist Candace Owens and former Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka had shirts published with the image. “For God and Country,” Owens’s T-shirt said. “The President of the United States,” Gorka’s said.
Neither Owens nor Gorka immediately responded to WIRED’s requests for comment on whether they would donate their profits to Trump’s reelection campaign or to the families of those shot at the rally.
David Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports, linked to a similar shirt on X made by Southern frat brand Old Row, which was acquired by Barstool in 2016. “If you’re going to take on the king, you better not miss,” it read.
“Are you making money off the shooting yet?” one X user asked in response to Portnoy. As of Sunday afternoon, it appeared that Old Row had removed the T-shirt listing. The company did not immediately respond to WIRED’s requests to confirm that the shirt had been removed following the backlash.
Popular YouTubers and influencers have also launched their own merchandise. The Hodge Twins, an influencer couple with over 3 million subscribers on YouTube and hosts the podcast The Hodgetwinsreleased a t-shirt with the image and the words “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” on Saturday night.
“100% of the profits from this shirt will go to the Trump campaign,” they said. in a post.
Dozens of TikTok users also sold T-shirts with the famous image on TikTok Shop over the weekend. Some hosted live streams where they encouraged viewers to buy their shooting merchandise as if they were hosting a TV shopping show.
“Ohhh look, another Trump t-shirt sold today!! The 100th,” one user wrote during a livestream where t-shirts were being sold.
Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengston, CEO of esports brand FaZe Clan, appeared to endorse Trump shortly after the shooting, writing “TRUMP 2024” on X. Bengston has more than 5 million subscribers on YouTube. Later, FaZe Clan advertised red MAGA-style hats that read “MAKE FAZE GREAT AGAIN.” FaZe Clan did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED asking whether Bengston and his company’s posts were official endorsements.
The incident prompted a number of influencers to support Trump. “I pray for world peace and prosperity and I believe Trump gives us the best chance to achieve that,” wrote Jake Paul, a YouTuber and professional boxer, on Saturday. “When you try to kill God’s angels and the saviors of the world, it only makes them greater.” In April, Paul invited Trump to attend his upcoming fight against Mike Tyson. At the time, a Trump official told WIRED that the former president was “seriously” considering attending. Tyson was subsequently injured and the fight was cancelled.
Logan Paul, Jake’s older brother, did not endorse Trump on Saturday, but wrote: “To survive an assassination attempt by millimeters and then have your security shut down so you can raise your fist in defiance of death is the most badass thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“Vote for the Bulletproof Outlaw,” Tristan Tate, misogynistic influencer and alleged human trafficker, written on X Saturday. Andrew Tate, Tristan’s brother who was charged with human trafficking in Romania, also posted messages of support for Trump.
Less than two hours after Trump was photographed in a Fulton County, Georgia, jail last year, His campaign had already released derivative products Although the campaign released several fundraising text messages and emails following the shooting, it did not release any related merchandise.
