A popular symbol of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign has some Maine hunters rolling their eyes.
A camouflage-patterned baseball cap emblazoned with Harris-Walz has exploded in popularity after Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ campaign began selling the item on its site this week. The interest in the hat came about after Harris posted a video in which she asks Walz to be her running mate, according to Teen Vogue.
Walz, who hunts, was dressed down in the video, wearing khaki pants, a black T-shirt, sneakers and a camo hat. Social media users began to compare the hat to one that pop music star Chappell Roan sells as merchandise, calling Walz and Roan both “Midwest princesses,” according to Teen Vogue. The Harris-Walz campaign responded immediately and had sold the first 3,000 in 30 minutes, with sales of the $40 hat topping 47,000 by Thursday for a total of $1,878,524, according to the online publication.
Although it’s become a lucrative fundraiser for the Democratic presidential ticket, some Maine hunters have seen the hat and aren’t buying into it.
“I think it’s a disgrace to hunters. I don’t like [Harris’] policies and she’s going to ruin this country,” said Ricky Carney of Mapleton, who saw the hat as a political gimmick to appeal to hunters.
Carney, who described himself as Republican, said hunters should stick together and say something public about that hat.
But the Harris-Walz use of a hunter’s traditional clothing pattern didn’t taint camo for Carney.
“I will stick to my tradition. She’s not going to change my tradition,” he said.
Another hunter who had also seen the hats, Doug Woods of Machiasport, said he has concerns about the candidates’ views on the Second Amendment that made him question their credibility.
Walz sees pro-gun control and pro-Second Amendment as compatible views, according to an interview in Time magazine, and that the former does not contradict the latter. Not everyone agrees with that view and some equate pro-gun control with being anti-Second Amendment.
But the Harris-Walz campaign may need more than camouflage hats to move Maine hunters.
“I would rather have a deer or a fish or a Welcome to Maine on my hat,” Carney said.
