Kmart and Sears have pulled a controversial T-shirt from their online store referencing Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt as an “American Patriot” after facing intense backlash.
On Tuesday, Vox journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted a screenshot of the shirt, which featured a faded American flag. He also included a link to the product.
It was not immediately made clear how long the shirts have been available on the website. It is believed to have been offered by a third-party seller, not directly from the retailers.
Later the same day, the official Twitter account for Sears responded to Rupar.
“Thank you for bringing this product to our attention,” the response read. “This item is no longer available for purchase on http://Sears.com or http://kmart.com.”
Now, when you click the link, it reads “yikes” since the item was removed. The page shows that the T-shirt is “no longer available.”
Babbitt, 35, was an Air Force veteran and Donald Trump supporter who was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer as she climbed through a broken window in a door to the Speaker’s Lobby. Her death has been politicized by some conservatives recently. Rep. Paul Goasar (R-Ariz.) claimed she was “executed” by police.
Trump said Wednesday that “there was no reason” for police to shoot Babbitt during a news conference held in New Jersey. Trump also called the January 6 riot by his supporters “unfortunate” while downplaying the severity of the incident.
.@Sears (https://t.co/VTWoZlm95W) and @Kmart (https://t.co/lZolqc38ga) are selling Ashli Babbitt "American Patriot" shirts pic.twitter.com/CYx3dVINfB
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 6, 2021
Thank you for bringing this product to our attention. This item is no longer available for purchase on https://t.co/X2bSIlvdyK or https://t.co/XcgrhIoktX.
— Sears (@Sears) July 6, 2021
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