Walmart removes 'Impeach 45' clothing after boycott threats
Walmart is pulling its “Impeach 45” merchandise aimed at President Trump, after a Twitter campaign to boycott the retailer.
“These items were sold by third-party sellers on our open marketplace and were not offered directly by Walmart,” a company spokesperson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “We’re removing these types of items pending review of our marketplace policies.”
The clothing, which includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, football jerseys, and baby clothing, was first spotted by Ryan Fournier, chairman of the coalition Students for Trump, who tweeted Tuesday, “Walmart, why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website????? What kind of message are you trying to send?” He included a photo of a $16.95 onesie with a one-star review.
.@walmart why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website?????
What kind of message are you trying to send? https://t.co/PwI4nCVAZx
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) July 3, 2018
The tweet traveled, drawing disgust from Trump fans and prompting demands to boycott the company.
@Walmart WTF IS YOUR DEAL!!?? IM BOYCOTTING WALMART AND IM GONNA SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS!!! pic.twitter.com/lssASDWsXf
— Tim (@Tim72400227) July 3, 2018
.@Walmart – why are you selling "Impeach 45" gear at your stores? This is an outrage, and I swear on everything HOLY, I will never buy another piece of JUNK from your store ever again. #BoycottWalmart https://t.co/wpWQ3sz3Q9
— Just Ames (@VivaLaAmes13) July 3, 2018
Your company is a disgrace to our American Children. You really want to sell Anti-Trump merchandise for children of our nation that can’t even vote or have no voice #babyonesies. Sam Walton is rolling over in his grave.
— Gloria Keating (@gfwkeating) July 3, 2018
Yet many people felt the outrage was hypocritical.
The conservatives who said Trump had a right to say kneeling NFL players should be fired because it's his free speech now want to boycott Walmart for selling a simple tee shirt. What happened to the free speech argument now?
— Carlos (@bIazingxmexican) July 3, 2018
Trump supporters are going to #BoycottWalmart?!? Yeah, good luck with that. Most of his base is in small town America where their only big store IS Walmart! Where else can they buy their Budweiser, guns and white sheets?
— Chris Allen (@thewalkingyotes) July 3, 2018
One Walmart employee even voiced his gratitude for the message.
I’m so proud to be a Walmart employee 🗣 IMPEACH TRUMP pic.twitter.com/SOi7SemVGO
— HLR 🐐 (@RichBeLit) July 3, 2018
The company also sells “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) items, including baseball caps and mugs.
In the fall, facing similar pressure, Walmart pulled T-shirts that read, ‘Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required.” As noted by Ad Age, the phrase was not new, but when a Trump supporter was spotted wearing the shirt at a rally for the president, it created a backlash.
In 2016, Walmart pulled T-shirts bearing the phrase “Bulletproof — Black Lives Matter” after the National Fraternal Order of Police charged the retailer with “profiting from racial division.”
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
People are shaming parents for dressing their kids in ‘F*** Trump’ T-shirts
George Lopez is selling Melania Trump-inspired jackets: ‘Keep the kids, deport the racists’
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