Just a few months after opening, the controversial Trump Truth Store in Crystal Lake, Illinois, has temporarily shut down, citing a drop in sales amid the ongoing Iran war.

In a notice to customers, business owner Lisa Fleischmann posted on Facebook on March 26 that the MAGA-themed shop “is closed until further notice.”

“I am not even making ½ of my rent,” she said on the social media site. “I never did this for the money but I don’t know how much longer I can last with paying for all the stuff.”

In an interview with the Tribune, Fleischmann blamed poor sales on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli-led war in Iran, saying business tanked shortly after the military operation began on Feb. 28.

She believes prospective customers are more hesitant to buy or wear pro-Trump merchandise due to the broadly unpopular conflict.

Most Americans disapprove of the war, with 59% saying recent military action there has gone too far, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released March 25.

“Sales were really slow. It all started with the war. It was dead as a door nail the minute that happened,” Fleischmann said. “I think (customers) are unsure what’s going on. Not everyone. But I think a majority of people are unsure what’s going on. … And if you wear it, they feel someone might come up to them and ask them questions.”

The store’s abrupt closing has been the latest setback for the polarizing business, which has faced a roller coaster of openings and closures over the past year.

Over the summer, Fleischmann voluntarily agreed to vacate a previous brick-and-mortar location in northwest suburban Huntley as part of a settlement agreement with her landlord.

The Trump Truth Store had faced eviction over several alleged building and sign ordinance violations, in part due to a full-size inflatable replica of Trump that greeted customers outside of the 900-square-foot shop along Illinois Route 47.

The MAGA-inspired business drew dueling protests to that site: Roughly 100 Trump fans came out to support the business as it came under fire, including a 12-year-old girl dressed as the president.

About a half-mile down the road, around 200 counterprotesters rallied against the store and the Trump administration on the same day, with many saying they supported municipal codes governing local businesses and didn’t appreciate scofflaws who seemed to be thwarting the rules.

In mid-January, Fleischmann reopened at a new location in Crystal Lake that was more than three times the size of the old store.

She said sales were strong that month and in February, until the war began.

Fleischmann added that her business had taken a similar hit last spring after Trump announced a series of foreign tariffs, which also proved largely unpopular among Americans, according to multiple polls.

She said she hopes to host a grand reopening in a few weeks and plans to come back bigger, better and stronger. Her goal has always been to create a local gathering place for like-minded Trump loyalists, and she hopes to one day offer recreational activities such as Trump-themed bingo, crafts for kids and a mock Oval Office where visitors can pose for pictures at a replica of the president’s desk.

She said she’s certain the president will regain favor and business will pick up again, noting that the Trump administration “wants everybody to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America in style,” which is coming up in July.

“They don’t want people in a hurting economy,” she said. “They want everyone to celebrate that we’re America and we’ve had 250 years of freedom. So it’s going to start getting better.”

She never resurrected the iconic Trump inflatable figure that spurred acrimony at the Huntley location. The material had grown old and faded, she said, so she had to throw it away. Fleischmann said she’s unsure if she’ll ever erect another inflatable version of the president at the Crystal Lake site.

Many store patrons on Facebook expressed sadness at news of the closure of the shop, which has in the past offered pro-immigration enforcement T-shirts reading “ICE ICE baby,” DOGE baseball caps and products celebrating Trump’s newly named “Gulf of America.”

One shirt for sale bears the message, “Too old to fight, too slow to run but I can still shoot,” according to the store’s website.

“I was there and bought several things and need to make the trip again!!” one supporter posted on the store’s social media page. “Wish I lived closer! Thank you so much for what you do Lisa! Us America-loving patriots notice and appreciate it.”

Some commenters begged Fleischmann not to give up, pledging to come in and purchase items if the store reopens.

Another customer praised the Trump Truth Store for having “great stuff.”

“Sad that it’s been so hard on you …. No doubt it’s a heartbreak for you after fighting the good fight,” the message read.

But many other comments mocked the shop along with its presidential namesake, with a few detractors posting memes of tearful snowflakes topped with red MAGA hats.

“Have the day you voted for,” several commenters posted on the store’s Facebook page.

One critic urged Fleischmann to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps!”

“Have you tried not paying your contractors and suppliers, getting a million dollar loan from your parents or just declaring bankruptcy?” asked another post on the Facebook page. “These strategies seemed to work well for Trump.”

____

©2026 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.