Fred Basserman pushed his merch cart against the cold wind, sporting one of his own hats to keep his red nose warm. Loaded with Trump-themed hats, pins, flags and magnets, he moved down the streets of Washington, D.C., during Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Basserman has been a merch vendor for 30 years, traveling around the country to sell various items.
“It is like a sport to us, too. It’s definitely a competition between me and my friend … We’ve been doing it forever,” Basserman, who is originally from Connecticut, said.
Trump’s presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 attracted excited crowds looking to celebrate and show their support, the perfect customers for vendors.
The vendors themselves may be focused more on selling than their own political views, but they proudly wear the merch displayed on their carts and tables.
While some workers base their entire career on street vending, for others, vending is a secondary job. Basserman works construction during the week but chose to take time off to sell during the inauguration.
Many vendors arrived early to secure a good spot, with several people setting up hours before the festivities began and staying late into the night.
Kelly Azeredo, a merch vendor from Massachusetts, arrived at 8 a.m. to find a parking spot. Azerado has sold merchandise across the United States with her company, which was not disclosed. Azerado did not seem thrilled to be out in the biting cold winds amongst competitors.
Selling at events, like the inauguration, has proven to be very lucrative for some vendors.
Basserman came to Trump’s inauguration in 2017 and had sold all of his items by 9 a.m.
“I just stumbled into a spot and then people just swarmed me,” Basserman said. “And there was no other guys here doing it.”
He said there are more people selling merch on Monday than at the last inauguration, so there is more competition, as vendors earn a commission from the merch they sell.
One of Basserman’s friends sold merch at the Jan. 6 insurrection, and made enough money for Basserman to worry that he would not make enough sales on Monday. But by 11 a.m., he said he was already happy with his commission for the day.
The inauguration brought in vendors, merchants and volunteers alike.
Brenda Malca came from North Carolina to volunteer to distribute “The Great Controversy” by Ellen G. White, a Seventh Day Adventist book promoting rediscovery through Christianity.
A Facebook page called GC 2 DC posted a video on Dec. 19 sharing their ambitions to hand out the books to the hundreds of thousands of people who “desperately need to know the truth” because the world is “on the verge of a stupendous crisis.”
Malca has traveled around the world volunteering to hand out “The Great Controversy,” promoting their mission. She was one of hundreds of volunteers that were crowding the streets of D.C., handing out the book for free to anyone that was passing by.
“I had been in Spain, I have been in Panama and Colombia and a lot of London,” Malca said. “Just giving these books because we think it’s very important that people read it.”
Vendors were able to sell and hand out items to the thousands of people who came to see Trump being sworn in, as viewers walked past the streets near Capital One Arena.
There were stretches of streets so congested with competing vendors and tables filled with Trump merch that the moving crowd had almost no choice but to glance at the various choices, causing the foot traffic to slow progress being made throughout D.C. This made it that much easier for merchants to shout about their wares and make their profits.
Basserman was not expecting many people to come to D.C. given the changes in the inaugural plan, but he was happy that people showed up and he was able to sell merch and profit from the day’s events.
“This is a good day. And it’s history, this is definitely history,” Basserman said.
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Kelly Azeredo speaks with TSA agents by her merchandise cart on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Azeredo has traveled throughout the United States, working many events with the vending company she works for.
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Fred Basserman pulls out a hat for a customer to look at on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Basserman, who works in construction during the week, loves to make vending a competition between him and his friend, who also sells merch, to see who can make the most money.
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Susan Fidalgo talks on the phone as she pulls her cart of merchandise through a busy sidewalk on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Nearly everyone present at Inauguration Day was sporting Trump gear.
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Hats and shirts sit displayed at a stall advertising “Trump Merchandise” on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The stand was also selling lanyards, books, souvenirs, flags and bumper stickers.
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A merchant stands behind his table of Trump hats on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. He and his friend, who both declined to be identified, had set up their wares early in the morning and endured frigid temperatures throughout the day.
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Trump supporters walk through line after line of vendors selling Trump merchandise on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. People of all ages were present to celebrate Inauguration Day and wear memorabilia to show their support for the new president.
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- Photo Gallery: Inauguration at a glance
- MAGA and miracles: Meeting Trump’s base on inauguration day
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