Election t‑shirts: Trump vs Harris in the fashion showdown
On November 5, the world's eyes will be on Americans as they choose a new president. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump offer their supporters election t-shirts as a symbol of support. These shirts cost over $25 each, and some feature controversial slogans.
The U.S. presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024. Preliminary voting results may be available from Tuesday night into Wednesday.
U.S. elections: How much do Trump and Harris t-shirts cost?
The Associated Press reports that 10 million Americans have already voted, with more people lining up at polling places. Some strongly express their views by wearing t-shirts featuring, for example, the American flag. The candidates are also selling special t-shirts—current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump—in their official online stores.
The Democratic Party candidate offers 14 models of shirts with short sleeves, long sleeves, or sleeveless options, available in three colors: black, white, and navy blue. The cheapest options, featuring slogans like "Ka-ma-la," "When we fight we will," or "Madam President," cost $32.
The most expensive t-shirt costs $47, and the purchase acts as a donation to the Harris Victory Fund.
Harris also offers t-shirts with photos from her youth. The selection includes a shirt with a photograph of young Douglas Emhoff, Harris's husband.
A greater variety of models can be found in the online store of the Republican Party candidate. In Trump’s store, prices are slightly lower than in Harris's—all t-shirts (there are dozens) cost $29.98.
What stands out in the businessman-politician's store are the graphics and slogans on the shirts. One t-shirt shows Trump in a suit with an American flag pattern, with a lion emerging from behind him. Another features a photo of Trump walking on a red carpet after exiting a plane.
The former U.S. president also released a t-shirt with a famous photo taken during an assassination attempt on his life, which occurred on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. The slogan reads: "Impeached, arrested, convicted, shot. Still standing."
The selection also includes shirts with graphics targeting his opponent. One of them intentionally alters a letter in the word "communism" to reference Harris's name.
Who will win the U.S. elections? Bookmakers bet
Recent polls have more frequently given Trump a slightly better chance of winning than Harris. Surveys are inconclusive— in the latest poll, the Democratic candidate has the support of 51% of Americans, while the Republican candidate has 47%. Participants in betting markets see a higher probability of Trump’s victory.
This year's election campaign focuses largely on the economy. The portal money.pl indicates that Donald Trump is perceived as more trustworthy in this area.
In a recent public opinion poll conducted by the "New York Times" and Siena College, 52% of respondents believed that the former president would be a better manager of the economy than Harris. Conversely, 45% of respondents held the opposite view.
The discontent stems primarily from inflation. From February 2021, the first full month of outgoing President Joe Biden’s tenure, to September 2024, consumer prices in the U.S. rose at an average annual rate of 4.4%. In total, during this time, prices increased by almost 16%.
In comparison, during Trump’s four-year term, from February 2017 to January 2021, inflation averaged 1.5%. The level of prices rose by only 6.6%.
However, Americans are most interested in the effects rather than the causes of price increases. Under Trump’s leadership, their incomes grew faster than under Biden’s, despite a marked improvement in economic conditions in the U.S. labor market during the latter period.
