Kmart And Sears Take Down “Patriot” Ashli Babbitt Shirt

From the retail industry site Footwear News:

Sears and Kmart took down a listing for a T-shirt reading “Ashli Babbitt American Patriot” in response to online backlash. Babbitt has been cast as a right-wing martyr in the months since she was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer as she tried to enter the building with a crowd of rioters on January 6.

On Twitter, where Vox journalist Aaron Rupar called attention to the listings yesterday, users condemned the retailers for promoting a product praising Babbitt’s actions at the Capitol. Within hours, however, the links led to 404 error pages and Sears had responded with a message confirming the product was no longer available for sale.

Online retailers, especially Amazon, have long battled inappropriate items offered by third-party sellers who can upload their wares with little oversight. Unlike Amazon, Target’s third-party vendors are invite only.