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By Andrew Stanton
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A store selling Donald Trump merchandise is dropping its prices as it prepares to close this month because of declining sales during the president's second term in office.
Why It Matters
The closure comes as Trump's approval rating has declined in recent months. The latest survey from YouGov and The Economist showed that his approval rating sits at 39 percent, while 56 percent of voters disapprove of his job performance. Among Republicans, his approval was 81 percent. That number represents the lowest of his second term but shows he still remains mostly popular with the GOP electorate.
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What To Know
The Trump Store confirmed that its Bensalem, Pennsylvania, location would be closing after six years in a Facebook post on Monday, touting “store-wide savings” such as shirts as low as $3 and hats as low as $5. The last day to shop will be January 31, according to the post.
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Mike Domanico, who owns the store, told Newsweek that sales have slowed since the 2024 election in which Trump was elected to a second term in the White House.
"When I first opened the store back in 2020, it was supposed to be just a temporary store for the election, but it caught on so good that I kept it open," Domanico said. "It's been six years and we've done really well with the store. It's sort of a landmark in the area."
Customers have traveled 15 hours to shop at the store, which also became a "meeting place" for Trump supporters to get together.
"It was a great asset to the community," he said. "I hate to close it, but it's just time."
Domanico said he has other businesses to run and does not have as much time to manage as he did before.
The store’s lease is up in February, and he wants to spend more time selling gun-show merchandise, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Trump’s tariffs have not affected Domanico's business, he said.
Sales grew during former President Joe Biden’s administration, when he also faced lower approval ratings, and as Trump geared up for another run for the White House, according to the Inquirer. Sales particularly spiked amid the president’s legal woes, the newspaper reported.
The store is in Bucks County, one of the swing areas that helped Trump return to the White House in November 2024. Biden carried the county by about 4 percentage points in 2020, bolstering his 1.2-point win statewide. Four years later, however, Trump eked out roughly a 300-vote victory in the county as he carried the state by nearly 2 points.
Domanico told the newspaper that he believes Trump's "second term has been great" and that he has "been doing some great stuff."
He told Newsweek that he has been a fan of Trump since the 1980s, as he also worked in real estate. He said he was "thrilled" when Trump decided to run for president in 2016.
"I didn't jump on the bandwagon when he started running for president. I was already a fan of us," he said.
What People Are Saying
Trump Store owner Mike Domanico told the Associated Press: “The store has kind of run its course. You know, it’s been six years and the elections are over. Trump’s not gonna be in another election, even though he’ll be part of it.”
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social in December: "The polls are rigged even more than the writers. The real number is 64 percent, and why not, our Country is 'hotter' than ever before. Isn’t it nice to have a STRONG BORDER, No Inflation, a powerful Military, and great Economy??? Happy New Year!"
What Happens Next
The store listed January 31 as the last day to shop.
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