To cap off Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting about pursuing peace in his war-torn home country, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to give his Ukrainian counterpart a tour of the MAGA gift shop.
A photo circulating on social media, shared by Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor Margo Martin, captures Zelensky staring at a wall of red and white MAGA caps and other pro-Trump merchandise in a room — reminiscent of a gift shop — that appears to be part of the White House.
The picture was posted on Monday, following the world leaders’ meeting at the White House to discuss the future of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Zelensky, boasting an all-black suit, stands with his arms crossed under a chandelier as Trump grabs a red hat, emblazoned with “4 More Years,” from the collection. The 22nd Amendment bars anyone from serving as president for more than two terms, meaning Trump will be ineligible to stand again at the next election.
It’s not immediately clear what Zelensky’s reaction was to the MAGA merchandise.
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
Ever the salesman, Trump has sold just about everything, from golden sneakers to perfumes to bibles. But social media users slammed the untimely nature of his latest offering.
One X user commented on the strangeness of showing off merch to a world leader hoping to end a war in his home country: “Imagine if Churchill went to the US during WW2, trying to defend against a shared opponent.. And they stopped for a merch flex break!”
“This is so embarrassing!” another user bluntly remarked.
Another similarly said: “Beyond tacky!”
One suggested Zelensky get a discount: “They get 10 percent off.”
Yet another quipped: “Imagine flying across the ocean just to see a closet of red hats.”
And one tweeted: “The White House exit is through the gift shop.”
On Monday, Trump and Zelensky, along with a group of European leaders, met in Washington, D.C. to discuss the next steps in securing peace in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
In vague terms in a Truth Social post following the summit, Trump hailed it as a “very good meeting,” noting they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine.
The U.S. president also announced he began making arrangements for a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and himself. The date of that meeting has not yet been determined, he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Swiss officials have suggested hosting the high stakes summit in Geneva — a move that French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have backed.
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