Bill and Pam Bailey, a middle-aged couple from Michigan, have followed former President Donald Trump to most of his rallies for the past seven years. They drive and sleep in a Donald Trump-emblazoned RV, which, according to them, also doubles as the largest mobile MAGA campaign merch vendor in the United States. The vehicle reads “Get your TRUMP merch here,” with their phone number below.
“We get pulled over, not by law enforcement, but by buyers–so much driving down the road. We’ve got our cell phone number on there (the truck). People call and say ‘I’m behind you, can you pull over? I need several caps,’” said Pam Bailey. The couple believes they’ve made it to 99% of Trump’s rallies since starting their business (though it’s unclear if that’s the case) and said that some regular clients come to rallies just for their traveling store. Trump’s rally in Nassau County, New York, on September 18th, was no different. The Baileys proudly sported matching hoodies that read “ULTRA MAGA” as they sold MAGA-themed swag to fellow attendees.
Bill and Pam Bailey’s is just one store — albeit, a big one — among the more than 30 stands that make up the political bazaar at the Nassau County rally. The eclectic marketplace is equal parts kitsch and controversy. One man sells Trump-labeled craft beer and soggy homemade marshmallow treats sealed with a Trump-Vance sticker, next to a vendor hawking t-shirts stamped with inflammatory slogans such as “Trump That Bitch!” which features an image of Harris, and “I’m Voting For The Convicted Felon!”
In a New York Times column, fashion critic Vanessa Friedman outlined why we pay attention to politician’s clothes. “There’s a reason we refer to ‘the national stage’ and the ‘theater of politics,’” she writes. “Pomp and circumstance has always been part of the pageantry of rule, no matter what the system. And costume is an intrinsic part of any pageant; it is woven into the creation and communication of character.” Through their clothes, politicians send a message about who they are and what they do — or don’t — stand for. If we garner information through what politicians wear, paying attention to the people who make, sell, buy, and travel for campaign merchandise also lends a unique glimpse into the campaign’s grassroots supporters. In this case, it also offers insight into the varied motivations driving Trump’s most steadfast followers.
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At one stand, a woman decides between two $350 handmade bedazzled jackets, one spelling out “Make America Great Again,” and the other reading “Faith over Fear.” The vendor, Deborah Yanna, a former delegate from Iowa, garnered surprise celebrity after Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, borrowed Yanna’s own DIY jacket to wear at the RNC. Yanna traveled to Long Island primarily for the America First Patriotic Designer Showcase, a MAGA-themed fashion show that is separate from the bazaar that took place on the coattails of New York Fashion week the night before the rally.
Another pair, Michael and Crystal, met as groupies for bands such as Dead & Company and Phish. Crystal has spent her career on the road selling tour merch, which progressed to following Trump’s campaign at her friend’s suggestion. A self-described hippie, Crystal will definitely be voting for Trump, she said. “I think everyone here is a Trump supporter. They (vendors) know they can make money here, but they also support Trump,” said Crystal.
In parts, the atmosphere at the pop-up marketplace was festive. Some characters paint a picture of fanfare and Instagrammable patriotic glam, such as Sarah Brady’s handmade ball gown that she wore to the MAGA fashion show. In an interview, Brady said she’s passionate about sustainability and is a self-proclaimed anti-fast fashion activist who uses her campaign outfits to upcycle.
Other corners of the merch carnival were more unsettling and representative of the political fringe, like the merch stand operated by Pastor Hyung Jin “Sean” Moon, the leader of a controversial religious sect that worships with AR-15s. Moon is the co-founder of the Pennsylvania-based Rod of Iron Ministries, a militant church that imagines the Biblical “rod of iron” as an AR-15, and has likened Jesus to an assault weapons manufacturer.
Rod of Iron is a schismatic offshoot of the Unification Church begun by Sun Myung Moon, Sean’s father. “The founder of our church, my father, was freed from a North Korean death camp in 1950. He taught in his church that communism is political Satanism, and it produces the environment for real Satanism to flourish” explained Moon. Following the death of its founder in 2012, leadership of the Unification Church passed to Moon’s mother, Hak Ja Han. Disagreeing with his mother’s leadership—Moon has referred to her as “the Harlot of Babylon” in his sermons—Moon, along with his brother Justin, started their own ministry.
The church has attracted headlines and attention for its right-wing politics. Moon and several of his followers were in Washington D.C. on January 6th. Under the moniker “King BulletHead,” Moon has released dozens of rap songs, many with homophobic lyrics and a variety of conspiratorial subjects.
At the rally, however, Moon’s focus was on Trump, who he claimed God had chosen to carry out his will. Moon travels with a group of 40 to 50 members of Rod of Iron, who sell merchandise and sleep in RVs following Trump to each rally on the campaign trail. Some, he says, flew in from Japan and Korea. “They can’t vote here, obviously, but they’re just praying for America and letting people know the world is with you,” said Moon.
Another nearby vendor who only agreed to be interviewed under the pseudonym “George Pi” (but was later identified via a quick Google search as Mark Chadwick, the leader of the “Constitution Art Society”) perpetuated false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets as he held up a toy cat at his sales booth. “Would ya like a cat? It’s very tasty….” Other merch called Trump the “Defender of Pets.” Chadwick positioned the claims as part of a “culture war,” but there have been tangible consequences to the rhetoric that followed former President Trump’s false, racist accusations of Springfield’s Haitian community eating pets. Over 30 bomb threats have been made against community spaces, such as schools and government buildings, in Springfield, OH, according to the Associated Press.
Much like Trump’s tweets and speeches, the merch is an exercise in bravado, selling an image of Trump as an unstoppable, if not hyper-masculine force, with images of him flexing like a bodybuilder and sneering on a “WANTED!” poster. While items like these amplify his machismo, others disparage Vice President Kamala Harris and other female liberal figureheads through derogatory and sexist slogans. A sign that spells out “Make Liberals Cry Again” accompanied by a picture of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow decorated several trucks. One attendee proudly posed in a t-shirt that reads “Biden Sucks! Kamala Swallows!” on the front, and “F*ck Joe & The H*e” on the back. The t-shirt was purchased from Street Talk Tees, an online marketplace that sells college and professional football merchandise along with MAGA merch. Another woman wore a hat displaying a cartoon elephant — the Republican party’s political symbol — humping a Democrat donkey. This inflammatory merchandise acts as both a badge of honor and a rallying cry for supporters. Whether it’s a viral bedazzled jacket or a simple MAGA hat, these items are articles of interest, serving as symbols of nascent and enduring forces within Trump’s grassroots movement.
Joanna and Jade, two service-industry workers from Long Island, wore red, white, and blue cowgirl outfits with cowboy boots. They said they felt powerful and American attending rallies dressed as cowgirls - this seemed harmless and patriotic. However, they were shortly joined by a friend dressed up as the “QAnon Shaman,” who punched the air, jokingly calling out that he was there on January 6th. They posed for a photo together – the cowgirls and the “insurrectionist.”
