“They just arrived today and they’re already flying off the shelves,” Taylor, 74, said in front of a sea of ​​colorful political flags outside a decommissioned church now overflowing with Trump merchandise.

Just a few days later President Joe Biden refers to the supporters Calling Republican nominee ‘garbage,’ Taylor says his supporters can’t wait to wear clothes labeled after former President Donald Trump capitalized about outrage while campaigning in a garbage truck and a reflective vest.

“They love it. They want more, by the end of tomorrow I bet all these new signs will be gone,” Taylor said, pointing to a pile in front of the store.

Trump Town USA is also preparing for an uptick in business as the megastore’s namesake will be nearby in Roanoke County on Saturday. Trump is taking a detour from traditional battleground states and making a rare visit to Virginia just days before the election to try to turn the state red for the first time in 20 years.

Virginia rally attendees will find anything and everything about Trump — a “Moonie Trump” figurine that says “kiss my ass” depicting the former president showing his butt, flags and T-shirts with the photo of Trump clenching his fist following his first speech. attempted assassination and a keychain full of steel testicles.

“These are the Trump balls here, you know, they weigh about a pound and a half, we sell a lot of them, I only have two left,” he said, taking out the key chain from the ‘shelf. “They’re from Texas. I need to get more.

“Those are Trump’s balls right there — they weigh about a pound and a half,” Whitey Taylor, owner of the Trump Town USA megastore in Boones Mill, Virginia, tells me. He says it’s one of the store’s most popular items. pic.twitter.com/6iMYDWFcZ6

– Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) November 2, 2024

The store is located in a century-old old church, in the heart of a small town of around 250 inhabitants. Taylor, who lives in a building directly behind the store, opened it months before the 2020 election. Even after Trump’s election defeat, the store thrived as the former president faced mounting legal problems. Sales increased with each new indictment. One of the most popular items remains the coffee mug with Trump’s photo.

Taylor, who also owns Franklin County Speedway, said his store became even more popular after Trump survived the Butler, Pa., run. assassination attempt in July.

“Business is good every day, but during the first assassination attempt, over 2,500 people came that day in the rain,” Whitey said. “If it hadn’t rained, we don’t know how many we would have had. There was a queue outside the door, people coming in all day.

His inspiration for what would become the store occurred while he was at the Daytona racetrack in Florida with his son. He began reading the Bible and praying to God for guidance.

“Immediately it occurred to me: He wanted me to help Donald Trump,” he said.

He eventually ordered 1,000 Trump T-shirts, explaining that his son had begged him to order just 100 to start. “I said go big or go home, boy,” he said with a laugh. Taylor ended up selling all the T-shirts at a single rally in Radford, Virginia in February 2016.

POLL WATCHING: WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ELECTION DAY

Taylor draws on Trump’s legal playbook

Taylor, who is challenging incumbent Boones Mill Mayor Victor Connor in this year’s election, is also facing legal issues. He was accused for assaulting three of his employees and was arrested on four misdemeanor counts, three counts of simple assault and one count of indecent exposure on October 22.

In response to the recent accusations, Taylor is taking a leaf out of the Trump playbook, calling the criminal charges “fake news election interference.”

“It’s politically motivated. It’s right before the election, obviously, one of the girls said you’re not going to be mayor and I said we’ll see,” Taylor said, claiming he was innocent.

Trump gambles on late trip to Virginia

Despite the recent controversy, the store was full of customers Friday who were stocking up ahead of Trump’s rally in Salem on Saturday, a town less than 20 miles up the road from the store.

Trump is making what some call a risky gamble by campaigning in the final days of the election in a state that hasn’t supported a Republican presidential candidate since. George W. Bush in 2004. Republican insiders were encouraged looking at a recent surveywhich showed Trump narrowing Vice President Kamala Harris’ lead in the state.

The state also has a popular Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, and a legislature that is only narrowly controlled by Democrats.

“He’s going to turn things around — that’s only going to be helpful when Trump comes,” Taylor said. “There will easily be 40,000 people there tomorrow trying to get into this arena that only holds 6,000,” he predicted Friday.

“Virginia is for Trump Lovers,” Taylor said with a laugh, pointing to one of the signs outside the store.

Shiloh Markwith, 18, who was shopping at the store with his mother Ronda, said he considered Virginia a “very important” target for Republicans.

“I think Trump thinks Virginia could flip, which honestly I wouldn’t be surprised looking at the polls,” said Markwith, who is a student at Williamsburg and will be voting for Trump for the first time. “James City County is very, very competitive this year, and I think if they turn this around and a few others, they will definitely turn the state red.”

Mike Cunningham, 59, who was shopping for a T-shirt and flag before Saturday’s rally, said he wasn’t completely convinced Virginia would go red this cycle.

“I think any state is in play right now, I mean, I don’t trust the polls,” he said. “So far, they have been wrong every year in the elections, so they are far from the mark. So I just want to be part of the process.

LIVE UPDATES FROM ELECTIONS 2024: LATEST NEWS ON THE TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Taylor, who firmly believes in the unproven theory that the 2020 election was stolen, has no doubt that Trump will win this cycle. However, even if the outcome isn’t what he’s hoping for on November 5, he believes his store will still be in business no matter what.

“This merchandise is going to sell – he’s already left a legacy, no matter what happens to Trump, he’s already left a legacy,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if he drops out of the race tomorrow, if he quits or dies, or whatever happens, he won’t, but if he should, he’ll leave a legacy.

“…This store will sell as much merchandise in 20 years as it does today.”