A store selling Donald Trump merchandise in Crystal Lake, Illinois, has temporarily closed, with the owner attributing the downturn to the US strikes on Iran. Lisa Fleischmann, owner of the Trump Truth Store + Hangout, announced the closure on Facebook, stating that sales had plummeted since the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28.
Fleischmann told the Chicago Tribune that the war had killed public appetite for red caps, flags, and 'God, Guns, and Trump' shirts. 'Sales were really slow. It all started with the war. It was dead as a doornail the minute that happened,' she said. She added that customers seemed unsure about wearing Trump merchandise for fear of being questioned.
The store had only relocated from Huntley in mid-January after an eviction notice over a Trump inflatable in the parking lot. Initial sales were strong, but the war and previous tariff announcements had hurt business. Fleischmann said she was not making half her rent and had spent heavily on tables and chairs for planned Trump bingo events.
Despite the closure, Fleischmann expressed hope that the US's 250th-anniversary celebrations this summer would revive interest. 'They don't want people in a hurting economy. They want everyone to celebrate that we're America and we've had 250 years of freedom. So it's going to start getting better,' she said.
The war has also caused divisions within the Trump movement, with figures like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly criticising the conflict, while others like Mark Levin support it. Polling indicates a lack of public support for the war, with only hard-line conservatives remaining steadfast.
