The Atlantic

Trump Has Become the Thing He Never Wanted to Be

Boring.
Source: Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters / Redux

Updated at 9:53 a.m. ET on March 8, 2023

One thing can be said for the proprietors of the MAGA Mall: They know their brand.

The right-wing-merch retailer’s setup was among the most impressive at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference—a gargantuan display of apparel and tchotchkes meticulously curated to appeal to every segment of the Donald Trump–loving clientele. There were the MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN hats in “classic” red for those who prefer a timeless look, and the ULTRA MAGA 45 hats for the more trend-conscious. There were T-shirts with Trump as Superman and T-shirts with Trump as the Terminator and—because even the most patriotic T-shirt designers eventually run out of ideas—T-shirts with Trump as the Geico lizard. (You can save 40% off everything by switching to Trump.)

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