Donald Trump’s campaign is reportedly using American Apparel to manufacture some of its campaign merchandise. It’s a strange combination, considering the company is pro-immigration and even sells clothing that parodies Trump.
Some of the patriotic merchandise spotted at the Republican National Convention by WWD sports an American Apparel label. The fact that all its products are made in America has long been a part of the company’s branding, and it jibes with the Trump platform of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.
But American Apparel has also long been an advocate for immigrants’ rights. Seven years ago the company fell under government scrutiny for hiring 1,800 workers who were unable to prove they had the legal right to work in the U.S. The company had to fire the workers, and has since been active in immigration reform.
Trump meanwhile has made headlines for his call to erect a wall between the U.S. And Mexico while referring to immigrants from there as criminals and rapists.
American Apparel also sells a line of pro-LBGT clothing bearing the slogan, “Make America Gay Again,” which is a parody of Trump’s campaign message, “Make America Great Again.”
“Because we believe in free trade, we sell our American-made T-shirts to thousands of screen printers across the country, allowing them to sell to any customers they choose,” an American Apparel spokesperson told Coins2Day in a statement. “Since we cannot control our wholesalers’ business practices, we want to emphasize that our core values do not always align with the messages printed on the end consumer’s product.”
In April, American Apparel laid off more workers as it overhauled its production process. The company reportedly was considering outsourcing some of its manufacturing, although it insisted that it would remain “Made in the U.S.A.”
Coins2Day has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment and will update this story if we receive a response.