Trump Store Opens in Heart of Contested Philadelphia Suburbs

BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) — A shop selling President Donald Trump-themed merchandise in a strip mall in suburban Philadelphia has emerged as a magnet for the president’s backers and a reflection of Pennsylvania’s status as a political battleground this year. The Trump Store in Bensalem sells hats, T-shirts, mugs, water bottles and even an inflatable Trump-shaped innertube. On a recent weekday afternoon, it did steady business over about three hours, with two to three customers continually streaming in and out. Bensalem, in Bucks County, voted for the Democrat in the last two presidential elections despite Republicans’ cutting into Democrats’ margins. Trump won Pennsylvania over Hillary Clinton by less than 1 percentage point in 2012.