Amid coronavirus, nationwide anti-Black racism protests and the race to the 2020 presidential election, the Trump campaign is selling baby onesies.
Of particular note is a red-and-white onesie with the words “Baby Lives Matter” emblazoned on the front. While it was first released in January to mark Donald Trump’s support of the anti-abortion March for Life rally, it remains available for purchase as a “limited edition” item for US$18.
Trump was the first president in history to speak at the rally, which protested against abortion rights and the historic Roe v. Wade decision, CNN reported at the time.
“Proudly show you’re investing in your baby’s future to Make America Great Again with this incredibly soft, boutique-style one-piece,” the product description reads.
The baby onesie was unearthed recently by Twitter user @AlxThomp, who shared a side-by-side comparison of the garment and the official Black Lives Matter logo.
“The Trump campaign is selling ‘Baby Lives Matter’ onesies in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ font/style,” he tweeted on Thursday.
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Some Twitter users point out in the comments that the store seems to have taken the “lives matter” portion to co-opt the message of the movement. Trump has been notably absent from the conversation of anti-Black racism, hiding from protests in a White House bunker (even though he denied that emphatically later on) and releasing a “propaganda” video that left out the tear-gassing of peaceful protesters on his way to a church.
Aside from the classic red-white-and-blue baby onesies for sale that read “Babies for Trump,” the administration has also released one that says “I cry less than a democrat,” featuring teardrop graphics on the side.
The Black Lives Matter movement has recently been reignited after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died from asphyxiation after being held under the knee of a white police officer on May 25.
The former officer, Derek Chauvin, had his bail raised from $500,000 to $1 million when a second-degree murder charge was added on Wednesday. Chauvin was videotaped as he pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes, even as Floyd was pleading for air.
Floyd’s death set off protests in Minneapolis that swiftly spread to cities around the U.S. and the globe. Chauvin and three other officers on the scene were fired the day after Floyd’s death.
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