Trump 2020 Campaign Launches ‘keep America Great’ Hats Proclaims They’re ‘proudly Made In Usa’
President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign has released new “Keep America Great” hats, an update to his 2016 campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
The caps, which are red with white lettering, went on sale this week on the president’s official campaign store, which claims they are “Proudly Made in USA.” Previous reports revealed that some Trump merchandiseincluding MAGA caps, banners and flagswere being made in Chinese factories, despite trade tensions with China and the president’s repeated criticism of the country.
“In 2016 Donald Trump promised to Make America Great Againand now we have to Keep America Great! Order your official Keep America Great hat today!” the caption on the Trump 2020 website reads. It cautions, however, that customers should “anticipate a delay in delivery due to overwhelming support.”
The baseball cap, which “Keep America Great” embroidered on front and a plastic snap closure on the back retails for $25.
President Trump modeled the new caps at a rally Thursday in New Hampshire, after quizzing attendees about whether they wanted to change his campaign slogan.
“Do we give up the greatest theme… phrase, logo, in the history of politics?” he said. “Because ‘Make America Great Again’we’re really sort of there. And we have a little time left.”
Inside The Trump ‘maga’ Hat Factory
We got a chance to go inside the factory where Trump’s iconic “Make America Great Again” hats are made. Also known as “MAGA” hats, the caps have become a symbol of Trump’s campaign, and inspired myriad memes and parodies.
Each MAGA hat purchased through the Trump campaign’s official website counts as a campaign contribution. According to the campaign, hundreds of thousands of the hats have been sold since Trump began his first presidential run.
The hats are produced by a California-based company called Cali-Fame. According to a 2015 Los Angeles Times interview with the company’s president, Brian Kennedy, about 80% of the company’s employees are Latino. When asked to comment for this video, a Trump campaign representative responded:
“As with so many manufacturers in America, Cali-Fame is enjoying the benefits of the Trump economy while also playing a unique and important role in the production of MAGA hats, the iconic symbol of President Trump’s historic campaign and pledge to Make America Great Again. The facility employs dozens of American citizens from diverse backgrounds, all dedicated and committed to their specialty craft producing a growing count of MAGA hats, totaling hundreds of thousands produced to date.”
The campaign did not respond to our question about how much the workers at Cali-Fame were paid.
Following is a transcript of the video.
Brian Kennedy: We’ve been making golf hats since the ’50s. Cali-Fame Los Angeles was one of the first golf hat manufacturers.
Are Trump’s ‘made In Usa’ Hats Really Made In Usa
At least one hat tested did not contain the type of American-made fabric manufacturer insists his factory always uses
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump puts on his hat during a rally, Wednesday, June 1, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif.
WASHINGTON Donald Trumps Make America Great Again hats tout they are Made in USA. Not necessarily always the case, an Associated Press review found.
The iconic, baseball-style hats are indeed stitched together at a small factory in the Los Angeles area. But at least one of the hats in a small sample tested by AP and an outside expert did not contain the specific type of American-made fabric the hats manufacturer insists his factory always uses to make each one.
The true origin of the fabric in that hat remains a mystery whether U.S.- or foreign-made and by whom and a striking example of how difficult and murky it can be to verify something is actually Made in USA. The Republican presidential candidate has made it a cornerstone of his campaign that U.S. companies and individuals should aim for that standard to bring back American jobs, even if it means paying more.
Informed of the APs findings, Trump said any misrepresentation would be unacceptable. I pay a good price for that hat. If its not made in the USA, well bring a lawsuit.
In addition to the fabric analysis, two of the manufacturers employees, including a top sales agent, said the hats fabric, bills and stiffeners were imported.
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Are Trump’s Made In Usa Hats Really Made In Usa
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats tout they are “Made in USA.” Not necessarily always the case, an Associated Press review found.
The iconic, baseball-style hats are indeed stitched together at a small factory in the Los Angeles area. But at least one of the hats in a small sample tested by AP and an outside expert did not contain the specific type of American-made fabric the hats’ manufacturer insists his factory always uses to make each one.
The true origin of the fabric in that hat remains a mystery — whether U.S.- or foreign-made and by whom — and a striking example of how difficult and murky it can be to verify something is actually “Made in USA.” The Republican presidential candidate has made it a cornerstone of his campaign that U.S. companies and individuals should aim for that standard to bring back American jobs, even if it means paying more.
Informed of the AP’s findings, Trump said any misrepresentation would be unacceptable. “I pay a good price for that hat. If it’s not made in the USA, we’ll bring a lawsuit.”
The AP review included a microscopic analysis of five hats bought from Trump’s campaign website, which showed the fabric in one was of a different type than that made by the supplier the manufacturer told the AP provides all his hat fabric.
“I’m not using imported materials,” Kennedy told the AP. “We’re playing by the rules.”
Official Trump Maga Hats Are Made In The Us
CLAIM: Trumps Make America Great Again caps are made in China, not the U.S.
APS ASSESSMENT: False. The hats are made by a manufacturer in California.
THE FACTS: A post circulating on Facebook with a picture of a red MAGA hat that bears a Made in China label falsely claims President Donald Trumps official caps are not made in the U.S. Such claims have circulated for years on social media and have re-surfaced in recent months as the president engages in a tariff war with China.
Brian Kennedy, president of Cali Fame of Los Angeles, a California-based company that makes the official hats, confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hats are produced entirely in Carson, Calif.
Some third-party retailers carry knock-off MAGA caps that are made in China and are labeled as such. Trumps official campaign store website states that All of our products are 100% proudly made in the USA.
However, another official Trump website, Trump Store, sells apparel and other merchandise with labels such as decorated in the U.S. The store also carries wine glasses by Riedel, a manufacturer based in Austria.
The Federal Trade Commission requires that items labeled Made in USA, be all or virtually all produced in the U.S.
This is part of The Associated Press ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.
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Makes a great gift for you or someone you love!
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Heres The Trump Merch That Is Made In America
Those Make America Great Again Hats
The Hillary Clinton campaign took aim at Trumps trademark campaign slogan hats in August 2016, but it turns out the hats themselves were at least partially produced here in the states. The hats are hand-stitched in California, reports AP. But a fabric analysis and a conversation with two of the manufacturers employees and a top sales agent determined that the hats fabric, bills and stiffeners were imported.
Trump water, one of the purest natural spring waters bottled in the world, according to Trumps website, is sourced in Vermont and New York.
*The Washington Post reported Trumps bedding comforters are made in the U.S., but the link cited is no longer active. The bedding used in Trumps hotels is, according to the Downlite website, filled and finished in the USA of imported materials, while the shell is made in China. So these get half a point, we guess.
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Posts Target Trump With False Claim On Maga Hats
Quick Take
Social media posts erroneously suggest that President Donald Trumps campaign hats are made in China, while those for former Vice President Joe Bidens campaign are made in the U.S. The official hats sold by both campaigns are made by American companies.
Full Story
Social media posts are wrongly suggesting that President Donald Trumps campaign has its iconic red hats made in China, while former Vice President Joe Bidens campaign uses a U.S. manufacturer for its hats.
The criticism levied by the posts hits at the core of Trumps message of America First, but its wrong.
The posts in question use comparing a pro-Trump and a pro-Biden hat, and their respective labels.
But while the red Make America Great Again hat pictured in the posts does show a label indicating it was made in China, that doesnt mean it was a hat that came from the campaign, as the various posts either explicitly or implicitly claim.
A Facebook page called Trump Sucksposted the photos on Oct. 19 with the caption: Typical Trump. It was shared nearly 3,000 times from there and later deleted. But we found that the same claim has been repeatedly shared in recent weeks and months and . One posted in August reads: Its classic: Trump campaign hats made in China. Biden campaign hats made in USA.
Between 2019 and 2020 alone, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee reported payments totaling $17 million to Ace Specialties.
But Cahns company has made hats supportive of Trump, too.
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The Outsized Entrepreneurial World Of Trump Merchandise
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On rally days, the Trump-merchandise sellers work begins before dawn. Ive been awake for twenty-four hours, David, a roadside flag vender, told me cheerfully on Saturday, January 15th. We drove all over, looking for the best spot. The Save America rally in Florence, Arizona, hadnt officially begun, but hed already sold sixty Trump-themed flags, most for $39.95.
David, a first-generation American whose family moved to the Southwest from Mexico when he was a child, has been in the flag business since he was fifteen. Back then, he helped his stepfather sell banners to people who wanted to proclaim their allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys or to the state of New Mexico, among other things. Three years ago, with the market for flags booming, David went into business for himself. Although his stock includes gay-pride, Tupac Shakur, and Antifa flags, the Trump campaign, Presidency, and post-Presidency have been particularly good for business.
Solomon, like many other venders I spoke with, told me that last year was rough, compared with 2020. Trumps election loss, followed by the embarrassment of January 6th, put a damper on sales. Some merchants branched into Stop the Steal gear, but didnt find much success. It was hard to move, Solomon said.
Hotel And Gift Shop Goods
Many of the products used in Trump hotels are from overseas.
The Trump-branded bedding is a mixed-bag. Take this comforter, for instance: The shell is made in China, while the filling and assembly is completed domestically. The matching pillows are begun in China and finished in the U.S.
USA Today reported that his new Washington hotel has chandeliers are from Austria, hallway lamps from China, phones from Malaysia, televisions from South Korea, towels from India, plush robes from China and glasses from Italy. The mattress and pillows, it was noted, are American-made.
Many Trump-branded products sold in the gift shop of the Washington hotel are made overseas, too. The Daily Beast reports that a $32 golf hat is made in Bangladesh, a $50 Trump-branded fleece is made in Pakistan, and an $80 pullover is made in Vietnam. A $15 Trump conditioner and a $15 Trump body butter both listed Canada as its country of origin.
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Are Maga Hats Made In China
Questions about the Trump campaign’s symbolic red hats started and were debunked in 2015. The claims circulated again last year and have found new traction as the country heads toward Election Day.
In 2016, a closer look at the hats by the Associated Press found that some did not contain the fabric that the manufacturer says is always used.
Brian Kennedy, president of Cali Fame of Los Angeles, the company that makes the official hats, did not explain the discrepancy but said “all or virtually all” of the materials are from the United States.
In 2019, Kennedy told AP that the hats are made entirely in Carson, California.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the merchandise. But according to the official Trump merchandise website, the campaign’s products are “proudly made in the USA.”
While the “made in China” tags can be found on some Trump merchandise, those items are not official products of the campaign they’re from outside vendors.
A WCIV report of a Trump rally in Charleston, South Carolina, in March illustrated this distinction. Vendors at Trump rallies often sell merchandise, but most of these items are made outside the U.S. in countries like China, Honduras and Haiti.
Facts Matter: Trump’s Maga Hats Are Made In Usa
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Then-candidate Donald Trump wore his “Make America Great Again” hat at a 2016 stop in Arizona.Associated Press
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U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe questions former special counsel Robert Mueller as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on his report on Russian election interference.Associated Press
Red “Make America Great Again” hats have been popular with supporters of Donald Trump since he began campaigning, and they continue to be an identifier of those backing the president.
While there have been false claims the hats were manufactured in a country outside the United States since they hit the market, Trump’s recent discussion about increasing tariffs on China has increased assertions the hats are produced in that country, according to The Associated Press. Inaccurate Facebook posts show the baseball-style caps with a “Made in China” label.
Trump’s campaign website, which sells the MAGA hats, as well as T-shirts, swimsuits, straws and dog collars, states, “All of our products are 100% proudly produced in the USA.”
Brian Kennedy, president of Cali Fame of Los Angeles, the company that makes the caps, told the AP that the items are produced entirely in Carson, California.
Some other online retailers offer knock-off MAGA hats that are made in China and are labeled as such, the AP said.
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Inside The Southern California Factory That Makes The Donald Trump Hats
Hats on the factory floor of Cali-Fame in Carson. The hat and apparel maker is best known for producing Donald Trumps Make America Great Again caps.
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Donald Trumps hats have quickly become a signature totem of the 2016 campaign, a kitsch magnet that serves ironic hipsters and sincere supporters alike. The red-and-white caps are emblazoned with the real estate moguls oft-repeated slogan, Make America Great Again.
But look around the factory floor where these hats are being made by the thousands, and youll find faces that dont seem to fit into Trumps America.
Yolanda Melendrez is one of them. Melendrez, an immigrant from Mexico who was brought to the United States by her parents when she was a baby, has worked at the Carson-based Cali-Fame headwear company since 1991.
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When we first got the order , I said to myself, Just wait until he sees whos making his hats. Were Latinos, were Mexicans, Salvadoreños.
Melendrez, 44, started out as a machine operator, stitching the seams of baseball caps. She now works as a lead on the floor, roaming as she checks on the flow of work, supervising other sewing machine operators and embroiders. She became a citizen when she was 20 her parents are permanent residents. Melendrez was 14 when she had her first child, and the job has helped her pay rent and put food on the table for her kids, she says.
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