That voter-sentiment survey may also help explain, at least in part, why sales of Make America Great Again merchandise may be lagging.
According to NPR, the MAGA Mall, a digital retailer catering to Trump supporters, has seen sales down 30% since Trump’s last presidential election. “He’s no longer a viable business model for entrepreneurs because he has peaked,” Wes Aker, a supporter of the president, told NPR.
Trump fatigue and ‘social costs’ are in play right now
Consumer sentiment experts say it’s difficult to tie political merchandise sales directly to a specific politician, but the Trump vibe comes close.
“Political merchandise serves as a public statement of identity as well as a product,” Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, behavioral scientist and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work, told Moneywise. “If people perceive a higher social cost from displaying a symbol, they may stop buying or wearing it even if their underlying political beliefs have not changed.”
Yet sales declines alone may not establish why attitudes are changing. “Retailers need to distinguish the normal falloff from an election year, reduced demand and potential changes in how consumers view the brand,” Tsipursky said.
Business in the MAGA world may also be waning because Trump has been in the headlines ever since he announced his run for the presidency back in 2015. “For entrepreneurs, depending on a single political personality creates concentration risk,” Tsipursky noted. “Demand can shift faster than fixed costs. Businesses can reduce that exposure by diversifying their product mix, testing adjacent customer needs and watching repeat purchases instead of assuming a surge will last.”
In-the-trenches retailers also caution against using data from a single store or chain as proof of a widespread sales downturn, such as the recent shuttering of a Knoxville, Tennessee-based Trump superstore cited by NPR, one of four MAGA merchandise stores the media outlet said closed in 2026.
“We believe the Tennessee closure is an isolated example, one built on a poor business model,” Lindsay Porzio, marketing director of Stic-It Rotating Car Flags, a rotating vehicle flag displays company, told Moneywise. “The lesson to learn here, if there is one, is not to bet everything on one product line. All successful businesses have multiple and often complementary product lines.”
MAGA gear and merch may have cratered over Trump economic policies
Other business experts agree, noting that one or two major economic issues may be most responsible for lower MAGA retail sales.
