Retailers cash in on Army's 250th anniversary and "No Kings" protest
Merchandise has cropped up for sale on Amazon, Temu and other online retailers in a move to cash in on two coinciding events: the Army's 250th anniversary parade and the "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration.
For the Army's 250th anniversary, hundreds of items appeared for sale on Amazon and including T-shirts, hats, mugs and more. One T-shirt for sale on Amazon and Etsy, for example, reads "250 Years Defending Liberty" with the U.S. flag, while another commemorates "250 Years of Service" with the message, "Freedom Isn't Free."
On China-based Temu.com, a seller shipping goods from a U.S.-based warehouse offers a reading "No Kings in America" and featuring the Statue of Liberty and American flag for $5.20. On Amazon, a search for "No Kings" yielded 1,000 results.
Much of the merchandise available on the e-commerce giant's site is printed on demand, meaning not in stock. Sellers print T-shirts or make the goods as soon as they are ordered to avoid sitting on unwanted inventory.
Walmart, which has distanced itself from an ad promoting No Kings that was funded by Walmart heiress Christy Walton, offers a more limited amount of merchandise related to the events on its website.
It's common for sellers to quickly mock up merchandise tied to current events. For example, retailers were quick to start selling apparel featuring images of President Trump with a bloodied ear after he was shot at a rally last year in an assassination attempt.
The No Kings protests were scheduled to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary. The day was also President Trump's 79th birthday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more information about the range of items for sale.
