PublicSquare, the newest addition to the world of e-commerce platforms, is a MAGA follower’s delight, catering to their far right values. The newly launched marketplace creates a retail space for customers who prioritize “life, family, and freedom” offering an alternative to what its founders perceive as “leftist” businesses.
Featured items include non-LGBTQ dolls, firearm storage boxes, and products from COVFEFE, a coffee company named after an infamous tweet by Donald Trump. COVFEFE’s offerings include coffee blends like “Drain the Swamp Medium Roast” and “MAGA Dark Roast,” tapping into conservative culture.
Among PublicSquare’s top-selling products are Everylife Diapers, advertised in partnership with pro-life organizations, Faith Friends Dolls, described as a Christian alternative to popular dolls, and products from ‘Moms Who Carry,’ which feature firearm-themed patterns.
The site, launched in July 2022, stands out not only for its merchandise but also for its high-profile backers. Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle are just two of the more than 400 brand ambassadors working with the site. It has rapidly grown, hosting about 71,000 small businesses and boasting a customer base of 1.6 million, according to its latest SEC filings. PublicSquare is expected to turn a profit next year, indicating a strong market presence.
Prominent Republican figures like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) have started promoting PublicSquare, further solidifying its connection to the Trump camp. The platform’s events, resembling town halls, feature these and other key supporters.
PublicSquare’s CEO, Michael Seifert, explains that the platform caters to Americans who feel marginalized in the current marketplace, targeting tens of millions of potential customers. The platform’s growth has been bolstered by conservative-led boycotts of companies engaging in diversity and inclusion efforts, the most recent example being the conservative backlash against BudLight.
The company’s board includes notable figures such as former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Blake Masters, and Nick Ayers, indicating the platform’s deep ties to conservative politics.
While it is completely within their rights for Republicans to boycott any business they do not wish to support, this position stands in stark contrast to their own condemnation of cancel culture and freedom of speech. Notably, conservatives rising up in arms about advertisers boycotting Twitter ads is the clearest example.
What’s also ironic is that the essence of Public Square revolves around socialistic principles. For a party that needs their safety blanket whenever they hear the word communism, it’s astounding that they reject the notions of free market competition and begin to lean more towards the framework of central planning.
