A man in Plainfield Township, Michigan, recently opened a store to sell Trump-themed merchandise to his community.
Gary Middleton opened the MAGA Store two weeks before Christmas and said that since then, business has been nonstop, according to MLive.com.
“Business is awesome,” he commented. “I didn’t expect this sort of response so quickly.”
The store, which is located in a strip mall at 4492 Plainfield Ave. NE, offers a variety of items, such as pins, shirts, buttons, and hats.
Middleton said the demand for the merchandise was so massive, he recently ran out of Trump-themed golf balls and playing cards.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. It really has been,” he told Fox 17.
“A lot of great people come in and talk, tell their stories, we’ve had people come as far as Indiana. They love it, they are glad that somebody has the courage I guess we should say to open up a store like that.”
Middleton said he buys merchandise from sellers across the nation to stock his store. He has also designed his own All Aboard the Trump Train 2020 T-shirt with an eagle, train, and an American flag printed on the front.
However, he is not the only person to capitalize on President Trump’s popularity, according to Breitbart News.
Massachusetts resident Keith Lambert recently opened several pop-up shops, called New England for Trump, where people come from miles around to buy memorabilia.
“Everyone that comes in here is just happy and positive. They’re not going to get (any backlash) here — they’re going to get nothing but support and love,” said Lambert, who calls his stores a “safe haven” for those who feel they cannot express their support for Trump without receiving criticism.
Friday, MAGA Store employees Jessica Wodarski and Jack Bailey handed out pocket-sized U.S. Constitutions to customers who bought things like dog bandannas, beer koozies, and flags.
While he shopped, customer Daniel Deblaay explained why he voted for Trump in 2016.
“I wanted somebody different,” he said, adding, “I gotta tell ya, I like a man, or a lady, that speaks their mind.”
“One thing we did all agree on though was that we didn’t need another politician,” his wife, Ronnie, chimed in.
So far, protesters have not appeared outside the store, but Middleton said he will not try to stop them if they do come.
“I fully expect that we will have some protesters, but they are welcome, that’s the first amendment. I’m exercising my first amendment rights and they are more than welcome to exercise theirs. Peaceful is good,” he concluded.