Pro-Trump Store in Tennessee Closes Amidst Declining Sales

A store in Tennessee specializing in pro-Donald Trump merchandise is set to close its doors permanently due to a significant drop in customer traffic. The MAGA store, located near Knoxville, is now selling off its inventory at a 50% discount.

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People are really saying they're not sure if they'll have enough for groceries this month, to pay their bills.

According to reports, the store enjoyed peak sales following an assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024. Owner William Hays recalled this period as "incredible," with "people waiting to get inside" and the "whole building full." Sales also saw boosts in early March 2026, shortly after Trump initiated military actions against Iran, and following the shooting of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk in September 2025.

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This was just incredible.

However, the store's fortunes have reversed. An employee suggested that Trump's popularity may be waning, and many customers are facing financial difficulties. "People are really saying they're not sure if they'll have enough for groceries this month, to pay their bills," the employee stated, attributing the struggles partly to tariffs imposed by the president and high gasoline prices.

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It was just incredible.

Despite the store's closure, merchandise featuring Trump remains a lucrative business. The president's own store offers hundreds of items, and reports from 2024 indicated that it generated $8 million in profit. An organization called Ethics in Washington noted in April that during the first 14 months of Trump's second term, which began in January 2025, the store introduced at least 600 new products. The organization described this as an "unprecedented level of monetization of the presidency."

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This was just incredible.