Finally, MAGA Fans Know Where They Can Shop in Peace

A screenshot of Philadelphia-area businesses found on the PublicSquare website

Most businesses know that getting political can be tricky. As Philadelphia publicist Peter Breslow put it to me back when I was writing about Hymie’s decision to allow a pro-Trump ad to be filmed there prior to the election: “If about half of the market is on one side and about half the market is on the other side, why would you risk one side being turned off by your political views and, therefore, not supporting your business?”

Plenty of people swore off of Hymie’s after my article came out, though the place doesn’t exactly seem to be hurting based on the lines I see there. So what would happen if businesses went out of their way to align themselves with Donald Trump and his MAGA movement?

The publicly-traded company PublicSquare offers them the opportunity to do just that. Oh, there’s nothing on the PublicSquare website saying “FOR MAGA, BY MAGA.” And there’s not a photo of Donald Trump at the top of the page giving a thumbs-up to the website. It’s more subtle than that. But not by much.

PublicSquare’s tagline, displayed right at the top of the page next to an American flag icon, is “For Life, Family and Liberty.” During my visit to the website on Monday afternoon, the featured deal of the day was for 75 free rounds of 9mm ammunition. On part of the website that describes the mission of PublicSquare, a white blonde woman tosses her white blonde baby in the air, amid a background of The American Great Outdoors.

The mission set forth on that page is, in part, that PublicSquare is a “place where you can buy everything your family needs from businesses who respect traditional American values. Whether a big box retailer’s agenda crossed the line, or you’re trying to support more small businesses, we’re ready to help find your new favorites from people just like you.”

The main part of the website is an e-commerce shopping mall, an Amazon for MAGA. Perhaps you want a 12×18-inch 300-piece puzzle of a falsely-ripped, shirtless Donald Trump, suitable for framing. If you’re tired of Starbucks, the Drain the Swamp Medium Roast might be for you. Naturally, there is a bevy of Confederate solider figurines. And who wouldn’t want the pine-scented candle emblazoned with the phrase, “Not to brag, but I’ve been the same gender since birth.”

In case you’re not completely convinced about the political and cultural alignment of PublicSquare, the company hosts events. Sadly, you missed their town hall with Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump Jr. They also held a big event at a gun show.

So that’s all well and good, but what if you want to support local businesses that align with the message of PublicSquare? After all, why wouldn’t you want to give all your hard earned money now that Trump has made it the best economy in the history of humankind to people who think just like you? God forbid you go to a Main Line spa owned by a Commie AOC fan, right?

I have good news. PublicSquare has this all figured out. In addition to the e-commerce feature, PublicSquare now also sports a directory of businesses across the nation that have opted-in to being highlighted on PublicSquare. All you have to do is go to the PublicSquare website and click on “near me” and, voila, you get a map showing you businesses worth supporting.

There are food establishments like a popular deli in Delco, a beloved Chinatown haunt, a classic Blue Bell tavern. You can go get your float therapy and cryotherapy at an Ardmore spa that we found on PublicSquare. Get your hair done at a salon in Broomall. There are contractors galore, mechanics, realtors, pet sitters. A quick search of South Philly finds an old school barbershop, a private gym. We lost count at how many local business we found on PublicSquare.

Of course, it won’t take too long for those Commie AOC fans to figure out that they can use this same list to boycott businesses. Oh look: they already have!