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Much of the chatter surrounding the Democrats right now is focused on the good vibes emanating throughout the party. The Dems are on a rare good-decision streak following Joe Biden’s historic decision to step aside for Kamala Harris and the selection of Minnesota Governor and expert weird detector Tim Walz as Harris’s running mate. Perhaps the most unexpected development of all, however, is that even the merch supporting the Democratic presidential ticket is now undeniably good.
Last night, as Coach Walz gave his first speech since the appointment, the campaign’s web store released a right-on-trend hat. The new cap features a Realtree camo design and the words “Harris Walz” in garishly bright orange. The hat, $40, went viral and sold out nearly immediately. Teen Vogue reports that the initial run included 3,000 hats that sold out within half an hour of going on sale. It’s now back for preorder with plans to ship down the stretch run of this election. The campaign has sold nearly $1 million as of Wednesday afternoon, according to TV.
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The inspiration for the merch is not hard to locate. Singer Chappell Roan sells similar merch with an almost identical design but for the text that reads “Midwest Princess.” Hester Leyser, the director Director of strategic planning for mobilization for the Democratic National Committee, referenced the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer directly on Twitter: “For all the midwest princesses out there -- you asked, we answered.” The news even reached Roan herself, who tweeted: “is this real.”
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Roan isn’t the only one making Realtree camo hats, though. You couldn’t buy a flat white in Dimes Square a few years ago without running into someone wearing a camo hat from the brand Praying printed with the phrase “God’s Favorite.” Is this the first time a presidential campaign’s merch can be traced back to an SSENSE link? I’d wager it is.
The Harris-Walz cap win is made all the more surprising by the fact that sticky political merch has long been former President Donald Trump’s domain. His ketchup-red MAGA hats have become an unmistakable symbol for his campaign, and he’s since expanded into unconventional items like gaudy gold high-top sneakers. That the Democrats are leading with a Realtree camo hat—a pattern many middle-of-the-country right-wingers might like to claim as their own—feels particularly significant. It mirrors what’s happening in the election as Walz, a veteran and former football coach, will surely position himself as a better advocate for Middle American values than his Republican counterparts.
The hat is just the latest evidence that the Harris campaign is taking a much more online approach to its messaging. In recent weeks, the candidate has cozied up to musicians beloved by people who rack up ungodly screen time reports: Before Roan, Harris embraced Charli xcx and her new album’s bratty bright-green branding. It’s only August, but the Harris-Walz ticket has certainly locked up the all-important Bushwick vote with its latest moves.