{"id":1028052,"date":"2021-11-18T15:28:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T20:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1028052"},"modified":"2021-11-18T15:45:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T20:45:14","slug":"one-year-on-americas-trump-stores-are-still-winning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-year-on-americas-trump-stores-are-still-winning\/","title":{"rendered":"One Year On, America\u2019s Trump Stores Are Still Winning"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fone-year-on-americas-trump-stores-are-still-winning%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1028052&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In many places in rural America, it seems the 2020 election never ended. \u201cTrump 2020\u201d signs still dot the roadsides, Trump flags still flutter, and Trump hats are still in style.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike previous presidential candidates who disappeared after a lost election, former President Donald Trump is still loved by his supporters.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just a private sentiment; the market for Trump merchandise is still strong. Across the country, many mom-and-pop stores continue to sell Trump gear of all kinds.<\/p>\n<p>The reasons for Trump\u2019s continued popularity are on full display in Ellijay, Georgia, a small mountain town with a <a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/us-cities\/ellijay-ga-population\">population<\/a> of 1,736. There, Alicia Dougherty and Jon Lock run the Ellijay Trump Store.<\/p>\n<p>The store stands at the corner of a red brick strip mall beneath a fabric sign displaying Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump with an American flag. Dougherty said she was somewhat surprised customers still came in months after the election.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4112240\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4112240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Trump-Store-4-1200x776-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"414\" \/><\/noscript>A Trump sign and an \u201cIn God We Trust\u201d sign in Ellijay, Ga., on Aug. 18, 2021. (Jackson Elliott\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re just winging it,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we knew the election was going to be a cut-off point. And the inauguration was another cut-off point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Ellijay Trump Store isn\u2019t unusual. Across America, at least 20,000 similar small stores buy and sell Trump apparel, said Ron Solomon, the owner of nationwide Trump apparel company Maga Mall.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Trump Treasures<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The walls of the Trump Store are packed with merchandise ranging from locally carved Trump cutting boards and wooden gun cases to Trump shirts, stickers, hats, and flags.\u00a0The well-arranged displays show passion for Trump, patriotism, and faith.<\/p>\n<p>Two life-sized cardboard cutouts of Trump are popular among customers for photo ops, Dougherty said.<\/p>\n<p>The store boasts visitors from across America, she said. They come from Florida, Maine, California, and everywhere in between.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople still love Trump,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery time someone\u2019s in from out of town, they come in and get stuff for their family to take home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although sales died off somewhat in February, they\u2019ve risen since March, Dougherty said. A normal week nets the Trump Store 200 to 400 customers.<\/p>\n<p>For many people, the store feels like a safe space to talk politics, share news, and spend time together, she said. Some customers spend hours talking with Trump Store employees.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4112237\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4112237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Trump-store-3-1200x714-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"381\" \/><\/noscript>Employee Fran Diemer waits for customers in the Ellijay Trump Store beneath a row of flags, in Ellijay, Ga., on Aug. 18, 2021. (Jackson Elliott\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before the election, customer numbers were even higher, Dougherty said. Lines stretched around the mall. Although the store hasn\u2019t gotten these kinds of numbers since, business is still brisk.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dougherty, Lock, and many of the store\u2019s customers, the 2020 election was stolen from Trump by a left-wing conspiracy. For them, the veracity of this seems beyond doubt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know Trump won the election because it was rigged,\u201d said local Kurt Awen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe election was rigged,\u201d said local Carl Taylor.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the certainty with which they pronounce the nationwide collapse of America\u2019s electoral system, Trump Store customers seem surprisingly relaxed about the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Solomon said that he and other Trump supporters believe the turnout in favor of Trump and pro-Trump Republicans will be so massive in the next two elections that it will overwhelm any future attempts at election fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Solomon said he also thinks state changes to election laws will help prevent fraud. He\u2019s very sure that Trump and pro-Trump Republicans will win next time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to take back the Senate, we\u2019re going to take back the House, and if Trump runs, he\u2019s going to win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>To many Trump Store visitors, Trump is more than a presidential candidate. They say he\u2019s a moral leader who has a quality that few Americans and fewer politicians have: He speaks his mind.<\/p>\n<p>Many visitors also said Trump\u2019s wealth showed his moral character. Whatever the reason Trump ran for president, it wasn\u2019t to get rich.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s got to be just because he relates. He\u2019s not a career politician. He\u2019s just a regular guy who loves America,\u201d Jon Oudin said. \u201cDoes he speak basically, openly about everything? Yeah, and [that] irritates a lot of people. But I think rural America, especially towns like Ellijay, we needed that. Because we\u2019re sick and tired of politics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe relates to people and he loves this country,\u201d Atlanta resident Norm Hatke said. \u201cHe\u2019s in it for the people. It\u2019s his values, I\u2019m going to say it\u2019s his family values. He\u2019s got all the power that he can muster, and he\u2019s got all the money that he could ever want. So if you have both of those, why would you want to take on that role, unless you just love this country and love the people?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4112246\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4112246\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Trump-Store-5-1200x800-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/noscript>Locally made Trump cutting boards at the Ellijay Trump Store in Ellijay, Ga., on Aug. 18, 2021. (Jackson Elliott- The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe stands for what he says, he\u2019s a man of faith, he\u2019s got real character,\u201d Awen said. \u201cHe\u2019s done the most for our country in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Somehow Trump seems to be everything at once to his supporters. But most importantly, he represents hope for change in an America where people don\u2019t trust each other anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their appreciation for a man who speaks his mind no matter the consequences, many Trump Store visitors said they felt unwilling to wear Trump apparel in some places because they could face attacks from political radicals.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump Store has already faced discrimination from Google because of its politics, Lock said.<\/p>\n<p>Google removed the Ellijay Trump Store\u2019s online business profile from its website, he said. Moments after he entered a code from Google to register as a business, he received an email telling him the store had been flagged for suspicious activity.<\/p>\n<p>As of today, the store doesn\u2019t appear when \u201cEllijay Trump Store\u201d is typed in Google\u2019s search engine or Google Maps.<\/p>\n<p>In Atlanta, Oudin said he felt afraid to wear a MAGA hat in public because people might spit on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know perfectly well if I wore this hat down in Midtown or Buckhead right now, that\u2019s exactly what would happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He cited several famous incidents in which Trump fans were harassed or attacked in public.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958177\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3958177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/A-sign-for-the-Ellijay-Trump-Store-in-Georgia-on-August-182021-Jackson-Elliott-The-Epoch-Times-1200x743-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"396\" \/><\/noscript>A sign for the Ellijay Trump Store in Georgia on August 18,2021 (Jackson Elliott: The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t see any of my peers, for example, belittling a Biden supporter or trampling their sign,\u201d Oudin said. \u201cI think we\u2019re more respectful toward our fellow citizens, regardless of their stances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump fans fear harassment from people who dislike Trump, but the fear also goes the other way.<\/p>\n<p>Linda, another local, who didn\u2019t want her last name published, said she didn\u2019t like the division Trump has caused or the continued insistence by his supporters that he won the election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe honor people who adore him. We would never make someone feel bad because they supported Trump,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we feel like we can\u2019t speak how we feel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Linda said she felt that if she spoke against Trump, she would face repercussions in Ellijay and from those close to her.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the cruder merchandise in the Trump store might bother people who disagree with Trump or like other politicians. The counter prominently displays an \u201c[expletive] Biden\u201d sticker. The shop\u2019s best-selling item is toilet paper with Nancy Pelosi\u2019s face on it, Dougherty said. Toilet paper with Joe Biden\u2019s face is a close second.<\/p>\n<p>But \u201cat the end of the day, we\u2019re nice people,\u201d Dougherty said,\u00a0referring to the residents of Ellijay. \u201cWe\u2019re respectful, and that\u2019s why everybody wants to move here.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jackson Elliott reports on small-town America for The Epoch Times. He learned to write and seek truth at Northwestern University. He believes that the most important actions are small and that as Dostoevsky says, everyone is responsible for everyone and for everything. When he isn\u2019t writing, he enjoys running, reading, and spending time with friends. Contact Jackson by emailing jackson.elliott@epochtimes.us<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In many places in rural America, it seems the 2020 election never ended. \u201cTrump 2020\u201d signs still dot the roadsides, Trump flags still flutter, and Trump hats are still in &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":259,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1028052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1028052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/259"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1028052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1028052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1028052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1028052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1028052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}