Only in America: Breaking-news T-shirts
News site BuzzFeed is apparently so pleased about having been called a “failing pile of garbage” by President-elect Donald Trump that many will be wearing the phrase as a badge of honor — on T-shirts.
While dismissing reports this week from BuzzFeed and CNN that the Russians had collected damaging intelligence on him, Trump inadvertently gave a big boost to the T-shirt business. Besides labeling BuzzFeed with the “failing pile” label, he went after CNN as the “fake news” network. The slogans are now on shirts. BuzzFeed’s sells for $30, while bumper stickers go for $5 and even trash cans sport the slogan for $49.
BuzzFeed told USA TODAY in a statement it would be “donating 100% of the proceeds” from purchases of the limitededition items “to the Committee to Protect Journalists.” Within 12 hours all of BuzzFeed’s items had sold out — raising $25,000 for the pressfreedom organization that was touted by Meryl Streep during the Golden Globes Awards last Sunday.
Trump has shown a knack for inspiring political merchandise. Besides his now-famous “Make America Great Again” golf caps, supporters wore “bad hombre” and “nasty woman” T-shirts during the campaign.
CNN isn’t being left behind. There are T-shirts reading “CNN/ the fake news network.” Sarah Chrzanowski, a mother of three from Southern California, is behind those shirts, capitalizing quickly on memes. Her hits include “Obama played the race card/ Clinton played the woman card/ Americans played their Trump card” — which, she says, was a hot seller over the holidays.