In recent days, images depicting a moment of chaos involving former President Donald Trump, where he was seemingly shot and surrounded by Secret Service agents, have surfaced on various media platforms. Remarkably, these intense moments have now found their way onto T-shirts being sold for as little as $4 on popular Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao and JD.com.
Following an alleged assassination attempt on Trump at a rally, Chinese retailers wasted no time in capitalizing on the situation by swiftly creating and selling T-shirts utilizing the dramatic images. One of the T-shirts reads “Make America Great Again,” while another boldly states, “Shooting Makes Me Stronger.” The shirts feature a range of photos capturing the intense moment, including a memorable image taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci.
Chinese manufacturers are well-known for their ability to promptly seize trending topics and transform them into marketable products. China’s status as a manufacturing hub, coupled with the fiercely competitive nature of its domestic e-commerce industry, makes it easy for small retailers to jump on consumer trends and quickly produce related merchandise.
Interestingly, the availability of the controversial T-shirts seems to have been short-lived, as they became increasingly difficult to find on platforms like JD. While some shops managed to provide hidden links to the merchandise upon inquiry, others offered shirts featuring Trump under a nickname used in China, “Trump Jianguo.”
The Chinese internet is closely monitored and subject to strict censorship, which raises questions about the legality and copyright issues surrounding the use of these images. The Associated Press has acknowledged the impact of Vucci’s photo and asserted its rights to the image.
This is not the first time Chinese entrepreneurs have capitalized on Trump’s name for profit, as evident by the production of Trump-related merchandise during the 2020 election. As of now, Alibaba and JD.com, the parent companies of Taobao and JD respectively, have not provided any comments regarding the situation.
