Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

3 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

3 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

4 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

4 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

4 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

4 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

4 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

4 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

4 days ago
T-Shirts With Image of Trump Raising His Fist After Assassination Attempt Are for Sale in China
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 12 months ago on
July 15, 2024

Chinese retailers are selling T-shirts featuring images of Trump after an assassination attempt. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BANGKOK — Images of the moment have already been splashed across the world’s front pages and papered many corners of the internet — former President Donald Trump, ear bleeding, with his right hand clenched in a fist above the Secret Service agents surrounding him after he was shot.

And now they’re available on T-shirts for as little as $4 on China’s e-commerce platforms.

Over the weekend, Chinese retailers leapt into action on Taobao and JD.com, the country’s two biggest e-commerce platforms, to profit from the images after an assassination attempt on Trump at a rally on Saturday.

T-Shirts Feature Slogans Like “Make America Great Again” and “Shooting Makes Me Stronger”

“Make America Great Again,” read one T-shirt, according to screenshots that circulated online. “Shooting Makes Me Stronger,” read another.

The shirts used a variety of photos that captured the moment, including one of the most indelible made by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci.

While people around the world may have recognized the power of the images, Chinese manufacturers are particularly well positioned to quickly jump on something trending and make it into a product. It is the world’s factory floor and its highly competitive domestic e-commerce industry means its small retailers are poised to exploit all sorts of consumer product trends.

Many T-Shirts No Longer Easily Found, but Still Available Through Hidden Links

By Monday, many of the T-shirts were no longer easily found, with a search for “Trump T-shirt” on JD showing no results and on Taobao showing other Trump T-shirts.

When asked, however, some shops were able to provide hidden links to the merchandise — and other shirts could be found by searching for a Chinese nickname for Trump for a time.

It’s not clear why the shirts were hidden, but China’s domestic internet, which is largely isolated from the global internet, is controlled by an extensive censorship system that also monitors its online commerce sites. The use of the images could raise copyright concerns.

AP Reserves Rights to “Powerful Image” Captured by Photographer Evan Vucci

“The Associated Press is proud of Evan Vucci’s photo and recognizes its impact,” said Lauren Easton, AP’s vice president of corporate communications. “In addition, we reserve our rights to this powerful image.”

An AP journalist was able to order a shirt with an image of the moment for 61 yuan ($8), even though the original link said the shirt was no longer available. A customer service representative said it violated regulations, without elaborating, but then provided a link to order the shirt.

Another shop on Taobao offered five different T-shirts, all based on photos from Saturday’s rally, when asked whether it had any showing Trump being shot at. They were selling for 34.9 yuan ($4).

For a time Monday, searches that included “Trump Jianguo” turned up shops selling T-shirts with images from the rally — though that worked less well as the day went on.

Trump Jianguo began being used as a nickname on the Chinese internet when Trump was in office. Jianguo — which means “build a country” — was a popular patriotic name for men in the 1950s and 60s when China’s Communist People’s Republic was young. The nickname is a jibe from people who felt some of Trump’s policies actually helped China, despite his sometimes fiery rhetoric.

Chinese entrepreneurs have long done brisk business on Trump’s name, as much of the candidate’s merchandise was made in the Chinese wholesale center Yiwu during the 2020 election.

Alibaba, which owns Taobao, and JD.com did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

DON'T MISS

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

DON'T MISS

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

DON'T MISS

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

DON'T MISS

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

DON'T MISS

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

DON'T MISS

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Seizes 300 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Over Fourth of July

DON'T MISS

US Proposes Rules That Could Boost Oil, Gas Output in US West

UP NEXT

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

UP NEXT

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

UP NEXT

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

UP NEXT

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

UP NEXT

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

UP NEXT

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

UP NEXT

Tulare County Seizes 300 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Over Fourth of July

UP NEXT

US Proposes Rules That Could Boost Oil, Gas Output in US West

UP NEXT

Trump Administration Acknowledges Lack of Evidence From Epstein Documents

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

39 minutes ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

47 minutes ago

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

47 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

53 minutes ago

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

2 hours ago

Tulare County Seizes 300 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Over Fourth of July

2 hours ago

US Proposes Rules That Could Boost Oil, Gas Output in US West

3 hours ago

Trump Administration Acknowledges Lack of Evidence From Epstein Documents

3 hours ago

Dollar Rises After Trump Announces Japan, South Korea Tariffs

3 hours ago

Merced Man Gets More Than 15 Years for Meth Trafficking, High-Speed Chase

3 hours ago

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday threatened the state of California with legal action after the state refused to ban transge...

12 minutes ago

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testifies before a Senate Appropriations hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Education, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
12 minutes ago

US Threatens California With Legal Action Over Transgender Sports Law

United States Department of Veterans Affairs logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters File)
24 minutes ago

US Veterans Affairs Will Cut Nearly 30,000 Jobs, Far Fewer Than Planned

A group of search and rescue workers paddle a boat in the Guadalupe River in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 7, 2025. (Reuters/Sergio Flores)
27 minutes ago

Houston Astros Donate $1M to Help Recovery From Texas Floods

39 minutes ago

Tucker Carlson Aired Interview With President of Iran

Attendees visit the 23andMe booth at the RootsTech annual genealogical event in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., February 28, 2019. (Reuters File)
47 minutes ago

California Fails to Stop 23andMe Founder From Re-Acquiring Company

Jose Efrain Guardado, 32, was arrested Thursday, July 3, 2025, at an Atwater Walmart after repeatedly evading law enforcement and now faces multiple felony charges. (Madera County SO)
47 minutes ago

Madera County Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Felony Suspect in Atwater

Fresno police impounded seven vehicles and issued 35 citations during a Sunday, July 6, 2025, night crackdown on illegal street racing and sideshows. (Fresno PD)
53 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Driver During Crackdown on Illegal Street Racing and Sideshows

2 hours ago

July 4 Weekend Was No Picnic for Fresno-Area Firefighters. How Bad Did It Get?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend