While filling in for the host on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, comic actor Anthony Anderson noted that the shooting at a Pennsylvania political rally over the weekend that saw a bullet graze former President Donald Trump’s ear is no laughing matter. But, he pointed out, some of the merchandise seen online in many instances is truly hilarious.
“Everybody’s still shaken up by the tragic events at the Trump rally on Saturday,” Anderson said as he opened his guest host monologue. “You know, all weekend, I kept thinking, I wonder what Jimmy Kimmel is going to say about this on Monday. And then I was like, ‘Oh, I am Jimmy Kimmel on Monday!’”
Anderson told a few tepid gags but then launched into a favorite of Kimmel’s show: mining the web for some of the strangest or lowest common denominator items. This time, the cash-in is on Trump’s brush with death.
“Now it’s only been two days since the attack, but this is America, so of course, folks are already trying to cash in on Etsy,” Anderson said before displaying some hot new merchandise. “Now this is actual merch. We did not make this up.”
One T-shirt found on Etsy is a charcoal black top featuring the now famous image shot by The Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci — or images caught by Getty’s Anna Moneymaker and Doug Mills of The New York Times — of a defiant Trump pumping his fist after the failed attempt on his life and features the phrase, “My Pronouns You/Missed.”’
Another T-shirt feature on Live! reads “Grazed and Unfazed” A third shown reads, “Ear we go again.”
As is the case with major events — the 9/11 attacks or the 2003 New York City blackout — commemorative T-shirts, mugs and more items are typically available as soon as the following day. Only this time, leading the pack on these offerings isn’t your everyday street vendors, but major conservative political commentators.
Conservative political commentator Candace Owens, for example, promoted a T-shirt on X (formerly Twitter) displaying the instantly iconic image of Trump’s gesture of perseverance, complete with a patriotic background and text that reads “For God and Country.” It goes for $30. Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump advisor, is selling shirts as well, for $29.99. The text on the shirt reads, “The President of America” while merchandise website Teleteeshirt sells tees that read “Legends Never Die.”
Elsewhere, various designs on items that use the Trump image have emerged. One takes the style of the Barack Obama “Hope” image by street artist Shepard Fairey and applies it to Trump in the moment after the shooting, with the word, “FIGHT.” From what could be the Kyle Rittenhouse collection, a backpack with the image of Trump after he was shot emblazoned on the front pocket is available to help any teen through high school.
Much of this blatant cashing in on major news events can only happen when the stars align with a worthy moment, a public desire to express an opinion on it and an image that is both stunning and expository, or what the Atlantic magazine calls “A legendary American photograph.”