50% when he took office to 44%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\nNine months later, when Bill Hays shut down his Trump super store outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, the president’s approval rating had fallen 5 more points.<\/p>\n
![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792790293_998_.jpeg\"\/)
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This Trump store in a suburban Philadelphia strip mall is one of at least four that have closed this year as the president’s merchandising appeal has dimmed.<\/p>\n
Hays said unpopular policies \u2014 such as DOGE’s massive government staff cuts \u2014 have had an impact. He noticed that instead of immediately putting on their new Trump gear, more buyers asked for bags.<\/p>\n
\n“People were not wearing their colors, so to speak, like they did before the (2024) election,” said Hays, 80.<\/p>\n
![\"Trump](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792790294_265_.jpeg\"\/)
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Trump merchandise has been big business. The MAGA Mall, a retailer and wholesaler, sells over a 1,000 MAGA, patriotic and religious products, including 400 different kinds of hats.<\/p>\n
When Hays opened his store in April 2024, business boomed. One day, he said, there was a line of 80 people out the door and sales hit $200,000 a month. By the time it closed in September, sales had fallen to just $20,000 a month.<\/p>\n
\n“After the inauguration, I think a lot of people felt that their job was done,” said Hays. “They didn’t have to promote MAGA or Trump.”<\/p>\n
\nHays still has a Trump store in the Tennessee tourist town of Gatlinburg. He’s waiting to see how Christmas sales go before deciding its future.<\/p>\n
\nTrump stores are a phenomenon. Other charismatic presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama developed ardent followings, but didn’t inspire brick-and-mortar merch outlets in red and blue states. Hays says Trump created such demand because he’s a salesman \u2014 and he tells people what they want to hear.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792790294_270_.jpeg\"\/)
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The Trump Store in Bensalem, Pa., sold a wide variety of products before it closed early this year. Items included an “Alligator Alcatraz” T-shirt, “Trump Won” caps and this patriotic Trump bear. The store continues to sell online.<\/p>\n
Ron Solomon, president of the MAGA Mall, says there are about 20 stores that specialize in Trump merchandise still in operation.<\/p>\n
\nIn Myrtle Beach, Rick Kligman sells items out of two stores, but he’s trying to get rid of older material, stuffing $40 worth of merchandise into a grab bag that he sells for $9.99. He’s concerned about the midterms and thinks a Democratic sweep of the House and Senate could turn off the more casual Trump consumer.<\/p>\n
\n“I don’t want to be sitting holding thousands and thousands of dollars of Trump merchandise and absolutely no possibility of selling it,” said Kligman, 69.<\/p>\n
\nGiven term limits and Trump’s age, retailers are diversifying beyond the Trump brand and embracing more patriotic products, including hats that say “We the People.”<\/p>\n
\nSolomon says this is a natural progression.<\/p>\n
\nEventually, Trump will leave the national stage. Unless a family member picks up the mantle, Solomon says the Trump merchandise business “will fade away.”<\/p>\n
Research by NPR’s Susie Cummings.
\n<\/p>\n
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![\"Trump](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792790292_486_.jpeg\"\/)
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