BOONES MILL, Va.—Donald “Whitey” Taylor made a fortune from sales at Trump Town USA, his store selling Make America Great Again apparel and memorabilia related to President Trump.
As the president’s approval rating hovers near all-time lows, imperiling Republicans’ control of Congress , store owners blame a stagnant economy and weaker MAGA enthusiasm for lower sales. Some stores are closing permanently. In the store’s final days, steep discounts to clear inventory didn’t draw a flood of customers. At checkout, Taylor and Brisco shared memories from their youth and high school.
Only about 12 customers a day frequented the Manchester, Tenn., store’s final 72 hours, the employee said. Ngo said he knew Trump would win in 2024 after sales of merchandise supportive of the president dominated those in support of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign. Trump won more than 70% of Franklin County, where the town is located, in 2024, among the highest margins for the president in the state. Twila Brisco, 81, who lives in nearby Roanoke, said the store is a vital landmark to preserving Trump’s legacy.
Because they felt they had already done their part in getting the president elected to a second term, he said, many customers also stopped buying new merchandise. The Trump Store Manchester shut its doors recently, citing weak sales and high operating expenses due to increased rent and advertising costs, according to an employee. Because of weak sales, he has cut back on purchasing Trump merchandise and lets inventory—much of which is made in China—run low, and. Because demand is down, “We’ve ordered less Trump merchandise.
“You get used to good money, and you still want to make it,” said Taylor, reflecting on the hundreds of patrons a day who used to bustle through his store aisles. Many MAGA-centered merchandise retailers and their suppliers are seeing sales dwindle, according to interviews with wholesalers, sales representatives, business owners and employees. He said politics doesn’t drive his business; money does. “We don’t make decisions off of emotions, we make them off of certainty and whether there is a demand,” he said. Brisco said she talks to her grandchildren about preserving conservative values.
“Today, the economy is just not worth a crap anymore.
