They are the Maga masses – ordinary people for whom Donald Trump represents hope, not fear, and whose lives have been changed by the Trump era. Some drive thousands of miles, seeing parts of the US they might never otherwise see, to attend the former US president’s campaign rallies, often camping outside for days to ensure they get a front-row seat. The rallies provide music, politics and a sense of belonging unlike anything else that society offers them.
Others sell “Make America great again” merchandise. An entire cottage industry has grown up around quirky, witty or insulting bobbleheads, hats, mugs, T-shirts and other paraphernalia. Within hours of Trump surviving an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the indelible image of him standing defiant, face bloodied and fist raised, was available on T-shirts.
For these fans, Trump transcends politics: they are in love with his brand of television-induced celebrity, charismatic leadership and willingness to take on perceived elites. That Trump could survive a shooting now elevates him to a near divine status – a figure of destiny to whom their devotion is complete.
Antwon Williams, 42, owns mobile phone repair shops and lives in Columbia, South Carolina. His father is a bishop and school principal. A van he bought three years ago to sell merchandise at Trump rallies has now clocked 260,000 miles. He says: “What people have to understand is that Blacks are raised to learn about survival. We don’t know much about politics and that’s why I was so late to this game. I didn’t know anything about politics until [Barack] Obama. Obama gave us a reason to get out and care with the whole change message – it was beautiful. Until I found out what he stood for – and that’s a whole ’nother story.”
Williams adds: “I was selling merch for the Obama campaign for a long time. Then I was doing Hillary merch but Hillary – I don’t know, for whatever reason – got hurt and stopped campaigning for a while so I ended up working Trump forever. My first Trump rally was back in 2015. I remember him saying at the end of his speech, to my Black community, ‘What do you have to lose? Give me a chance.’ And dude, here I am. Yes, sir. I gave him a chance, man.”
He concludes: “Over the years, God has blessed us. The good thing is we get to employ about 10 people and we all go around the country and it’s beautiful, man. You’re not making millions but, hell, you’re making a living. The first piece of merch I sold was a Maga hat for $25. Now they are $30 each. The Maga hat will never be outsold.”
