Supporters in Gulf Shores have increased visits to American Legacy, a shop selling Trump merchandise, ahead of President Trump’s rally in nearby Mobile. Staff and the owner reported a surge in purchases of red "Make America Great Again" hats, shirts, cups and mugs. At least 25 customers bought shirts and hats over a recent period, with 12 items sold in a single day, according to employees. The Mobile event prompted road closures and canceled classes at the University of South Alabama.
Shoppers Flock to Gulf Shores Trump Store Ahead of Mobile Rally
Gulf Shores, Ala. — As President Donald Trump prepared to speak in nearby Mobile on Friday, supporters visited American Legacy, a Gulf Shores shop that specializes in Trump merchandise, in noticeably higher numbers.
“I’m going to go see Donald Trump speak tomorrow at the USA Center and thought I’d wear something to be a little more patriotic,” customer James Browning said while shopping at the store.
Employees and the store’s owner, Troy Rye, said traffic and sales rose in recent days. Staffers noted that interest had begun increasing ahead of the midterm elections and spiked further after the Mobile rally was announced.
Popular items: Customers were buying hats, shirts, cups and mugs, with the red "Make America Great Again" hats among the best-sellers. Employee Johnny Bridges said, “At least 25 people came in buying shirts and hats. That’s the main thing they’re buying... I sold at least 12 total yesterday alone.”
Rye added that the store also received many calls from shoppers asking about available merchandise: “We’ve had quite a few more customers, a lot of phone calls, wanting to know if we had different merchandise. Anything patriotic they’re after right now.”
Rally Impact
The Trump event in Mobile prompted local road closures and led the University of South Alabama to cancel classes for the day. American Legacy said it would stay open during the rally and expected the pre-event surge to continue.
Brief Bulletin
Separately, a legal update reported that Tennessee inmate Christa Pike remained alive after a lethal injection dose, according to lawyers. That item was published as a separate bulletin and is unrelated to the Gulf Shores store coverage.
Note: This article summarizes remarks from customers and staff at American Legacy and reports on the local effects of the Mobile rally.
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