abass@northstarreporter.com
In December of last year, a store selling pro-Trump and anti-Biden merchandise opened its doors on Route 1 to customers.
Now, after just eight months of service, the store is shutting down. Known as the Let’s Go Brandon store, the location was part of the New England for Trump business and one of three pro-Trump stores in Massachusetts.
Keith Lambert, the store’s owner, said the reason for the store’s closure was due to safety concerns from staff members. According to Lambert, these concerns arose after an incident where a car crashed into a Lets Go Brandon Store in Easton last month.
“A lot of our staff grew worried about their safety when that happened,” Lambert said. “We wanted to take safety seriously and listen to their concerns.”
The store was set to close on Wednesday, but Lambert has moved the final date to Sunday after people heard about the its fate.
“We’re hoping to get some more people to come here before our doors close,” he said. “We have had people not just from here but from all over the country drive miles to just visit our store.”
“Let’s Go Brandon” is a political slogan that has been widely used as an oath for “[Expletive] Joe Biden” about President Joe Biden.
Chants of “[Expletive] Joe Biden” were heard at sporting events beginning in early September 2021. “Let’s Go Brandon” came into use after an NBC reporter incorrectly described chants by spectators at a NASCAR race as “Let’s go, Brandon” during a televised interview of driver Brandon Brown on Oct. 2. The slogan has become well known through use by Republican politicians and critics of Biden. It has also been commercially used through merchandise.
When the North Attleborough store first opened, the response was mixed. Some customers were pleased with the store while others saw it as an unwelcome addition to the town.
Originally, the store was supposed to be active during the holiday season. After several supportive comments and feedback, however, the store stayed for eight more months.
Despite the store’s closing, Lambert said this was not the end for him. He is currently looking for a new location to sell merchandise and promised he will be back to business soon. He said it should not matter if a customer is supportive of former President Donald Trump or supportive of President Joe Biden—what matters is that they can express how they feel.
“People want to express their anger right now,” Lambert said. “There are people who like Trump and like Biden but they should be free to express how they are feeling in regards to the state of the country.”
