San Antonio | At this week’s party convention, Democrats are officially handing over the candidacy from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris. The hype surrounding Kamala is huge, and the presidential candidate is omnipresent. But not everywhere – in rural Texas, Donald Trump is clearly number 1. invidis visited the Trump Store in Bandera.
invidis rarely reports on stores that do not have a single digital signage or DooH display. But unusual times require unusual site inspections. Bandera – the self-proclaimed cowboy capital of the world – is less than an hour’s drive from San Antonio in Texas. The road leads over hilly landscapes past churches, farms, and tractor dealers. Here, Texas is just as you would expect it to be.
It is also not surprising to see Trump 2024 bumper stickers on many large pickup trucks that dominate the streets in all of rural Texas. Make America Great Again (MAGA) – this is Trump’s heartland. And for all MAGA fans, the outskirts of Bandera – population: 837 –have the perfect place of pilgrimage: The Trump Store. Whereas in most rural towns a Walmart branch dominates the cityscape, in Bandera, it is this Trump Store. This is where the hearts of all Trump fans beat faster – there is nothing that you can’t find in terms of Trump merchandise.
Always on offer are the latest Trump-hair socks, as well as dated Trump 2020 merchandise. Shooting targets with the motif of Joe Biden are offered alongside flags with a photo of the assassination attempt Trump barely survived four weeks ago. Front lawn election signs that are extremely popular in the USA are available with Trump/Vance motives.
Hidden between the typical election merchandise are certain products with (at least for Europeans) very offensive and disturbing messages. The country is deeply divided, and the merchandise in the Trump Store is a reflection of that sentiment.
Trump art for the front lawn
In Bandera, Trump memorabilia are not limited to the Trump Store. Metal signs for the fence, the garage, or the kitchen – Trump is extremely popular here in the countryside. How popular Trump is nationwide, the elections on November 5th will reveal. In Bandera, the preferences seem to be clear.
