A mind-boggling roundup of the MAGA swag CPAC vendors are selling
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Conservatives with money in their pockets will be walking away from the Conservative Political Action Conference this week with merchandise you have to see to believe.
Images from attendees of CPAC — where Donald Trump, a host of Republican politicians, right-wing media celebrities, foreign leaders and conspiracy theorists are set to appear — hit social media with a bang this week.
Earlier CPAC announced “propagandist” news outlets such as MSNBC would not be credentialed to report on the conference and would therefore be forced to purchase tickets. Raw Story is in attendance.
“CPAC used to have overflow rooms,” noted one such reporter with video of rows and rows of empty seats. “Anyway, guess this is why they decided to yank my media badge and demand money from me.”
Perhaps the crowds had hit the shops? If so, here’s what they found.
(And be sure to scroll down for pictures from our reporter on the ground.)
The Jan. 6 pinball machine
Important context: More than 1,265 people have been charged with criminal offenses after angry rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, according to the Justice Department. The losses suffered because of the siege are estimated at roughly $2.9 million. Among those facing charges is the former president, who says he is the victim of a political witch hunt.
@DoYourJobTrump’s take: “So what you do is you baselessly accuse it of stealing your quarters, smash it, and then cry that you're being persecuted when you're hauled out of the arena.”
A $20 shirt featuring President Joe Biden and son Hunter with Hitler mustaches and the message “Got Corruption?”
Important context: A key witness in Reps. James Comer’s (R-KY) and Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) impeachment probe was recently indicted on charges he lied about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter each accepting $5 million bribes. Prosecutors contend FBI informant Alexander Smirnov has ties to Russian intelligence. This news broke after Biden was cleared in a classified document retention probe.
@Bo_Gardiner’s take: “Rightwingers: Biden is weak and senile. Also, he's a powerful strongman seeking world domination.”
Bottled Woke Tears
Important context: The bottles are not thought to contain real tears.
Bradley Moss’ Take: “This Biden economy is so good people can afford this.”
RNC nutritional supplements
Important context: RNC Bitter Raw Apricot Seeds have been flagged by the Food and Drug Administration, which told the company in February 2021 “Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective.”
@LebrunDon’s take: “Nothing like adding a little cyanide to your diet for ‘health benefits.’”