Shopify Removes Multiple Trump Campaign Merchandise Sites
According to information obtained by The New York Times' Sapna Maheshwari, ecommerce company Shopify has removed 2 online retailers with ties to the Trump Organization and campaign.
Shopify representatives made public statements saying that the company does not empower storefronts or individuals that "threaten or condone violence to further a cause." As a result, the retailer removed the sites "Trumpstore.com" and "shop.donaldtrump.com" from its platform.
The campaign affiliated sellers mainly peddled "Make America Great Again" hats and t-shirts, as well as other Trump branded items and merchandise.
"Based on recent events, we have determined that the actions by President Donald J. Trump violated our Acceptable Use Policy, which prohibits promotion or support of organizations, platforms or people that threaten or condone violence to further a cause", the company said in a related statement.
According to Queerty, these digital storefronts served as a major cash cow for the Trump campaign, racking up almost 1.5 million dollars on merchandise sales alone in the last 3 years.
Maheshwari's article notes that though these two larger retailers have been barred from its service, several Trump related sellers are still operating on Shopify's ecommerce platform. The company declined to comment on the other sites.