Walmart apparently heeded the threats of a boycott on Tuesday morning, immediately pulling the controversial “Impeach 45” onesie from its website, The Blast reports.
The big box store faced a massive controversy online this week when shoppers found a one-piece outfit for babies with “Impeach 45” written on it. The product was titled “Impeach 45 45th President Donald Trump Soft Baby One Piece.” When supporters of the Trump administration spotted it, they began organizing a boycott of the chain.
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It did not take long for the outrage to reach a fever pitch. Between Monday night and Tuesday morning, the calls for a boycott became impossible to ignore. The retailer quietly removed the product with no formal announcement.
Now, a search for the politically charged garment on the Walmart website yields no result. It is unclear whether the product was ever stocked in physical stores, or whether it is still there now. The onesie was made by clothing manufacturer Old Glory, which makes lots of merchandise for Walmart. The company hasn’t responded to the backlash.
A Walmart rep told reporters from The Blast that the company was “checking into” the onesie before it disappeared from their site. The company then responded to a tweet by political commentator Ryan Fournier, which appears to have started all of the vitriol.
These items were sold by third-party sellers on our open marketplace and were not offered directly by Walmart. Weโre removing these types of items pending review of our marketplace policies.
โ Walmart Newsroom (@WalmartNewsroom) July 3, 2018
“These items were sold by third-party sellers on our open marketplace and were not offered directly by Walmart,” read a statement from the official Walmart Newsroom account. “We’re removing these types of items pending review of our marketplace policies.”
The quick response still was not enough for some Twitter users, who still wanted to see the company punished.
“Old Glory the Third Party Company Walmart mentions is an exclusive product of Walmart,” one person pointed out. “ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS BAN TOGETHER AND BOYCOTT WALMART!”
Old Glory the Third Party Company Walmart mentions is an exclusive product of Walmart. ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS BAN TOGETHER AND BOYCOTT WALMART!
๐บ๐ธ๐บ๐ธ๐บ๐ธ
โ Chase (@VolvoS36) July 3, 2018
“Absolutely disgusting Walmart!” added another. “No other president has ever been treated like this. I will not be shopping at Walmart.”
Absolutely disgusting Walmart! No other president has ever been treated like this. I will not be shopping at Walmart. #BoycottWalmart @Walmart @POTUS pic.twitter.com/V5kTG7PhWX
โ MarLee (@Mar_Lee_C) July 3, 2018
Conversely, the whole uproar seemed to amuse some Twitter users on the opposite side of the spectrum. The “Boycott Walmart” hashtag quickly filled with jokes about the unlikelihood of this protest, and other easy punch lines.
if trumpers are going to boycott walmart, whats the new official trump campaign headquarters?
โ m i t h (@ManInTheHoody) July 3, 2018
“If trumpers are going to boycott walmart, whats the new official trump campaign headquarters?” one person wrote.
Me walking into a Walmart hoping that the lines are shorter because people are in their feelings about a shirt that I actually agree with!
โ Ashley (@iHiddenPersona) July 3, 2018
#BoycottWalmart pic.twitter.com/0yFHBOcO9j
Meanwhile, any chance of impeaching the president will likely hinge on Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Last week, Representative Trey Gowdy urged the team to “finish it the hell up;” however, experts say the investigation has already moved at a relatively quick pace.
According to a report by USA Today, ending the investigation relies on President Trump himself agreeing to sit down for an interview with Mueller, as he has been requesting for six months. The president continues to refuse, however, meaning that the two parties are likely headed for a drawn out legal battle when Mueller’s team is forced to subpoena the president’s interview. Legal experts told USA Today Mueller would probably win that case.