$1.3M in “F*ck Trump” gear: Protest culture fuels an Amazon boom

If you’ve noticed a sudden uptick of pretty profane bumper stickers on your morning commute – you’re not imagining it.

Turns out, Americans aren’t just tweeting their political opinions — they’re wearing them, sticking them on their laptops, and planting them in their front yards. And they’re buying it all on Amazon.

Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January, sales of anti-Trump merch have exploded. We’re talking about a 372% spike in revenue and a 338% jump in orders — all in just 90 days.

That’s not just a trend. That’s a protest — delivered in Prime packaging.

So… what are people buying?

Glad you asked. In January, anti-Trump items on Amazon brought in $277,550 across 20,352 orders. Fast forward two months to March, and that number jumps to $1.31M in revenue with a total of 89,103 orders.

To be clear: Americans are now buying over four times more anti-Trump gear than they were just a few weeks after inauguration. This isn’t business as usual — it’s a clear shift in behavior.

Here’s what’s flying off those digital shelves:

• T-shirts: 40K+ units/month
• Stickers: 13K+/month
• Yard signs: 12K+/month
• Bumper stickers: 6K+/month

These extremely “Instagrammable” items aren’t just there — they’re protest tools. Each shirt, sign, and sticker is someone broadcasting their opinion in a way that sticks (literally and figuratively).

Why the big spike now?

Since stepping back into the White House, Trump hasn’t exactly been laying low. In fact, his first 100 days have been packed with bold — and often controversial — moves that have stirred strong reactions across the country (and beyond). It’s no surprise that some of that frustration is showing up in what people are buying online.

Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening:

• Executive orders: 104 of them in just 65 days — the most any modern president has ever signed that quickly
• Reversals: Reversed numerous Biden-era policies, especially around climate change and diversity
• Immigration: Implemented strict immigration measures, including mass deportations and attempts to end birthright citizenship
• Global moves: Imposed sweeping tariffs, withdrew from international agreements, and proposed annexations of foreign territories.
• Domestic actions: Pardoned over 1,500 people connected to the Capitol riot and created a new federal department led by… Elon Musk.

So yeah, people are reacting. Loudly. Visibly. And with t-shirts.

Americans are using merch to speak their minds

Even though the election is over, the enthusiasm for political merch hasn’t slowed down.

In our recently commissioned survey, it was found that 58% of Americans have already purchased or plan to buy presidential merch during the election season. And we’re not just talking about a sticker here or a lawn sign there — many are loading up on products that say exactly where they stand.

And where did they do most of that shopping? Mostly on Amazon. 57% of respondents made their merch purchases there, followed by Walmart (27%) and eBay (21%).

Furthermore, 20% of Americans were buying directly from official campaign websites, while others were shopping small on Etsy (14%) or getting their merch straight from TikTok Shop (12%) — showing just how varied and creative the election merch market has become.

More importantly, most of them aren’t doing it quietly. 60% of respondents said buying election merch makes them feel proud, 32% feel excited, and 27% feel confident in their political beliefs.

In other words: merch isn’t just a souvenir anymore. It’s a statement.

So what does this mean for your ecommerce brand?

The takeaway isn’t to jump into political merch — unless that fits your brand. Instead, this shows just how quickly public sentiment can turn into sales.

“Not every business can, or should, create something specifically for the presidential election,” says Greg Zakowicz, Senior Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend. “But it makes sense to stop and think if you have any products you can easily tie into the event in a neutral way.”

So if you’re selling anything expressive, wearable, or customizable — like t-shirts, mugs, stickers, even digital downloads — there’s never been a better time to play in this space. The demand is clearly there.

Just be careful where you step.

TL;DR? Protest has a price tag

We’re in a new era of merch. One where bumper stickers are battle cries and yard signs say more than tweets ever could. No matter if people are proud, mad, inspired, or just want to make a point, they’re doing it with their wallets.

So don’t ignore what’s happening. Pay attention. Watch the trends. Even if your brand stays politically neutral, your customers might not be.

And apparently, they’ve got Amazon open while doing it.