By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
On the weekend of Dec. 4, a store with pro-Trump, first responder, and military merchandise opened in North Attleborough, with customers lining up every day.
The store, which has a Let’s Go Brandon sign outside, is located at 387 N. Washington St., the former location of Gallery 2 Vintage & Antiques. IT has seen a steady stream of customers according to owner Keith Lambert. The store is part of the New England for Trump business, and is one of three in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island. Lambert said that the business had 22 locations after the election, but as time passed the interest waned somewhat. All of the locations, with the exception of one, has pivoted to a Let’s Go Brandon store.
“It’s a basically a place where people can show and express their First Amendment rights to voice their disgust with the way the country is being run, and with our leader right now,” said Lambert.
The store has hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and flags with messages of support for Donald Trump, the Armed Forces, Second Amendment, and first responders. In addition, there are stickers, buttons, magnets, and even soda with labels such as “Trump Won.”
The store has been filled with people, even at the opening and closing hours. Lambert said he looked at locations on the South Shore but only found sites in large shopping centers or others that needed a five-year lease. Given the ever-changing political situation, he said it wasn’t a good option for a business like his. The North Attleborough will only be around for a month to provide a holiday shopping option, after which they’ll move on to a new location.
“There’s always going to be something that people want and we fulfill that need,” he said.
The response from North Attleborough residents has been mixed, with many upset that the store has opened. Some have speculated that it won’t last long in Massachusetts while others have stated that they plan to shop there. Conversations on different North Attleborough Facebook groups have become heated in some cases, as people argue over the motivations of such a store.
Let’s Go Brandon” is a political slogan which has been widely used as an oath for “[Expletive] Joe Biden” in reference to 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.
Lambert said the slogan likely won’t go away anytime soon, and he’s heard it chanted at sporting events, even at high school and college games.
“We’ve had people from all over,” said Lambert. “We had one person from Texas, he said he had to see the store.”
