Florida GOP removes ‘Deport Depot’ swag after The Home Depot objects

The Republican Party of Florida just got a lesson in trademark law — and maybe in taste, too.
Over the weekend, the RPOF quietly yanked a line of deportation-themed merch from its website after someone apparently realized that ripping off The Home Depot’s iconic orange logo might not be the best idea. The shirts, hats, and assorted tchotchkes were branded “The Deport Depot” — a nod to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest immigration stunt: a new detention center in Sanderson Florida, that he proudly dubbed the “Deportation Depot.”
Subtlety clearly wasn’t on his mind.
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The merch mimicked The Home Depot’s extremely recognizable branding so closely — same orange box, same stenciled font — that it looked like a MAGA makeover of aisle 12. But The Home Depot wasn’t having it. Spokesperson Beth Marlowe confirmed last week that the company had not approved the use of its logo and was “reaching out” to the RPOF to resolve the issue.
Translation: Cease and desist, folks.
Saturday afternoon, the items were still up for sale, priced between $15 and $28, with proceeds going straight into the party’s coffers as political contributions. But by Sunday, the merch — and the party’s proud post on X — vanished faster than a campaign promise after election day.
Party chair Evan Power didn’t respond to requests for comment (shocker), but on Friday, before The Home Depot weighed in, he insisted the design was legally sound. “No reasonable person would think it’s the logo of a company,” said Power, who is clearly color blind or something.
And nothing says “reasonable” like using the corporate logo of a hardware store frequented by undocumented immigrants — who flock to the parking lot for day jobs — to promote a detention center and mass deportation effort.
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This isn’t the first time the RPOF has tried to cash in on DeSantis’ cruel immigration antics. When the governor unveiled, Alligator Alcatraz, the party rolled out a matching line of swamp-themed swag. Those are still for sale and $30 gets you a heather gray or charcoal jersey t-shirt.
Because this isn’t just a cruel immigration policy. It’s a revenue stream.
But this time, they messed with the wrong brand. The Home Depot has long been a flashpoint in immigration politics, with ICE agents targeting day laborers outside its stores. Raids have been particularly acute in California, where tensions boiled over in June after immigration agents reportedly chased people outside a Los Angeles store, sparking neighborhood protests. Just this past Thursday, a man was struck and killed by a vehicle while fleeing immigration agents at a Home Depot in Southern California.
The company has been criticized from all sides for largely staying out of the issue. “We aren’t notified that ICE activities are going to happen, and we aren’t involved in them,” Marlowe said.
Still, the optics are brutal. And now the RPOF has tried to turn that trauma into a punchline — and a profit. Perhaps the Gulf of America beach towels at $35 ain’t selling as much as everyone thought they would.
Maybe the Florida GOP should leave the immigrant-bashing out of their fundraising strategy altogether.
The post Florida GOP removes ‘Deport Depot’ swag after The Home Depot objects appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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