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Monday, July 15, 2024

Trump near-assassination T-shirts flood Chinese markets

It is not the first time that Mr Trump’s merchandise has gone viral.

• July 14, 2024
T-shift of Donald Trump's fist pump (credit: REPUBLIC WORLD)
T-shift of Donald Trump’s fist pump (credit: REPUBLIC WORLD)

T-shirts depicting the viral fist-pumping moment taken minutes after former United States president Donald Trump survived an assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday has flooded Chinese markets with e-commerce websites listing one piece for sales for ¥68 (⁩$10).

Mr Trump’s “upper right ear was pierced by a gun bullet” fired by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks who shot multiple rounds towards the direction of the 78-year-old while speaking to supporters during a rally in Butler County on Saturday evening.

Immediately the shot rang out, Mr Trump took cover before the pulpit and has he was being hauled away from the stage by U.S. Secret Service agents who were shielding him, the politician took a moment to pump his fist as he charged the rally attendees to “fight” and the images captured during the moment have since gone viral.

The gunman, who positioned on the rooftop of a building adjacent to the campaign venue, was subsequently neutralised by counter-fire from Secret Service agents.

After the news of the assassination attempt was reported by Chinese media, Mr Trump immediately became the trending topic on social media in the country with a report by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV about the incident gaining over 230 million views within 90 minutes on China’s largest social media platform Weibo.

The Chinese market immediately capitalised on the moment, printing the fist-pumping photo of Mr Trump on T-shirts and listing it on e-commerce websites for ¥68. The image of the merchandise listing has also gained traction on social media with many showing support for the Republican nominee in the upcoming November presidential election.

It is not the first time that Mr Trump’s merchandise has gone viral. T-shirts depicting the mugshot of the former president were sold out in minutes following his indictment on racketeering and related charges in Fulton County, Georgia regarding the 2020 U.S. presidential election. 

Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping, through the Chinese Foreign Ministry, has sent a message of support to Mr Trump, stating the country’s leader “expressed sympathies to former President Trump,” who Beijing described as “injured by shooting” at the campaign event in Butler.

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