Walmart Takes Down 'Impeach 45' Shirts After Twitter Erupts

BENTONVILLE, AR — Walmart says it has removed clothing from its website emblazoned with the message "Impeach 45" — a reference to the nation's 45th president, Donald — at least for now. The clothes, including T-shirts and baby apparel, sparked a Twitter campaign to boycott the retail giant.

The movement spread like wildfire on the internet when Ryan Fournier, chairman of the group Students for Trump, called out Walmart on his verified Twitter account Monday.

".@walmart why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website????? What kind of message are you trying to send?"

.@walmart why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website?????

What kind of message are you trying to send? https://t.co/PwI4nCVAZx
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) July 3, 2018

Fournier had more than half a million followers as of Tuesday afternoon. The tweet has garnered more than 9,300 likes, 7,400 retweets and nearly 3,000 replies, many of whom were incensed that T-shirts — and even baby onesies — were being sold on the store's website.

User @S_Cooper0404 urged others to call the store and complain.

"@Walmart You're seriously selling baby wear that calls for the impeachment the President of the United States? Do you think Patrtiotic Americans don't shop at your stores? Is this what you represent? Call 1-800-WALMART to reach comment line! #WalkAway from Walmart," she wrote.

User @MemphisGrits2 replied to Fournier's tweet saying she too was upset with the shirt.

"In my town there’s not a whole lot of other places to shop, monopoly, killing mom & pop stores. Shame on @Walmart for taking sides. They should be non political, since at least 1/2 their patrons are @realDonaldTrump supporters. SMH," she wrote.

Others blasted Walmart, which also sells clothes with Trump's signature phrase "Make America Great Again," for contributing to the country's seemingly increasing polarization. User @Lulu_McFu went as far as to say Walmart seemed to be "fanning flames of division."

The tweet has lead to a hashtag #BoycottWalmart campaign. More than 27,000 people have tweeted using the hashtag.

Walmart is selling IMPEACH 45 T-shirt’s and other apparel insulting our President.

I don’t recall Walmart selling IMPEACH OBAMA shirts or any anti Obama apparel, do you?

NEVER GO TO WALMART AGAIN. It is a left wing company that hates our kick ass President!#BoycottWalmart
— Mike (@mike_Zollo) July 3, 2018

#BoycottWalmart spend money else where to hell with Walmart
— jason brown (@brownj23) July 3, 2018

JUST IN: Walmart is now selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on their website.

Anyone else willing to #BoycottWalmart?

I know I am.
— Mark Lutchman (@marklutchman) July 3, 2018

A Walmart spokesman told Patch in a statement it the items were sold by third party sellers on the company's open marketplace. The items, which were not offered directly by Walmart, have been removed "pending review of our marketplace policies," the statement said.

A search of its online store Tuesday afternoon showed that while shoppers could still buy "Make America Great Again" apparel, there were no longer any "Impeach 45" clothing options.

Old Glory, the company that makes at least some of the shirts, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday that it makes all kinds of political clothing.

"With over 10,000 political t-shirt designs, we do not take sides," the post said. "We make pro and anti shirts for all the candidates."

Old Glory is still selling "Impeach 45" shirts on its website.

This isn't the first time Walmart has faced intense backlash over the message printed on its shirts. In November, the company sparked outrage over a shirt emblazoned with the words “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required."

Photo credit: Ken Wolter/Shutterstock