Hillary Clinton References Donald Trump’s Latest Legal Woes With Some Clever Merch

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knows the art of a good clapback. On Friday, the boundary-breaking politician came out with an expertly timed re-release of $32 hats with the message “But her emails.” The merch, of course, references the major 2016 presidential campaign controversy around Clinton’s use of a private email server. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate at the time, issued aggressive calls for investigations of Clinton and potential charges against her so-called mishandling of classified materials. On Thursday, nearly six years after Trump’s attacks, the Justice Department took a momentous step and filed federal charges against the former President—and 2024 candidate—for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Ironic. 

“Bringing this back in light of recent news,” the former Secretary of State wrote on Twitter, sharing a link to purchase the hats. 

Clinton’s re-release goes far beyond operating as the politician’s equivalent of a mic-drop. Each purchase will include a contribution to the political organization Onward Together—a group founded in 2017 by Clinton and Howard Dean to help fundraise for progressive groups. An extra bonus: each hat is “Union-made” in America. 

Over the years, political merch has transformed from simply being emblazoned with candidate’s names and morphed into canvases for increasingly insider jokes and references. They signal a deeper awareness of the political landscape and communicate more about one’s values. Take for example merch from Joe Biden’s revving-up 2024 campaign, which includes “Dark Brandon” tees, a reclaiming of a term and memes popular among Trump supporters. Or the Biden-Harris campaign releasing fly swatters, in 2020, after the internet erupted over a fly that landed on Former vice president Mike Pence during a debate with Harris. 

As the Former Secretary seems to know, sometimes fashion is the best medium to deliver a powerful message.