When Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tim Walz as her running mate for the US presidency, she did so in a unique way – by sharing a video of herself calling the Minnesota governor to join her campaign. In the video, Walz appears in casual attire, sporting a T-shirt, khakis, white sneakers, and a camouflage baseball cap.
This move, known in politics as “appealing to the base,” aims to resonate with the average American voter. For followers of pop culture, it was also seen as a nod to Chappell Roan, a rising singer who has been selling camo caps with “Midwest Princess” printed on them. After Walz joined the campaign, a similar hat with “Harris Walz” was introduced.
This sparked curiosity – had Chappell seen this? She later reposted a comparison of her hat and the Harris campaign’s version with the caption “Is this real[?]”
According to reports from Teen Vogue, the camo hats quickly became a liberal status symbol, with over $1 million in sales within 30 minutes of the initial release. As the hat gained prominence, jokes and comparisons started spreading.
Personalities like Desus Nice and Christopher Mims chimed in with their take on the phenomenon, highlighting the cultural impact of the hat. Some see it as a subtle ploy to garner Roan’s endorsement, while others view it as an attempt to create a signature look for the Harris-Walz campaign, similar to Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” hats.
The MAGA hats became synonymous with Trump’s presidency, symbolizing not only his campaigns but also the values he represented. The red hats transformed into symbols and memes in their own right, influencing various spin-offs like the “Make America Read Again” hats from The Strand bookstore and the modified version worn by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.