Credit: Walmart.com/Adobe Stock
Walmart Pulls ‘Sickening’ T-Shirt After It Sparks Worldwide Outrage
Walmart has removed a series of controversial T-shirts and hoodies from its website after intense public backlash, with many people describing the products as ‘sickening’ and ‘racist.’
The items appeared only briefly on the retailer’s online marketplace before being taken down, but their short-lived presence sparked widespread anger across social platforms.
Shocked shoppers slam the designs
Once images of the clothing began circulating, reactions came quickly.
One user wrote: “OK, never stepping foot in a Walmart ever again.”
Another said: “Disclaimer that Walmart did remove this t-shirt from their online store. But do you see the emboldened racism and insanity this country has sunk to?”
The criticism continued to pour in. A member of the public said: “It is sickening they’re selling this in this day and age,” while someone else added: “I’ve never been woke but omg.”
Walmart says third-party seller responsible
Blair Cromwell, Walmart’s director of global communications for its US marketplace, said the listing was created by a third-party seller and removed ‘immediately’ once it was flagged.
In a statement to Snopes, she said: “We have zero tolerance for any prohibited or offensive products appearing on our Marketplace.
“The items in question were listed by a third-party seller and have been removed from our site and the seller terminated for violating our prohibited products policy.
“When issues like this are identified, we act immediately to remove them and strengthen our systems to prevent a recurrence.
“The trust of our customers and the integrity of our platform remain paramount.”
Items violated Walmart’s hate symbol policy
Walmart’s online sales policy clearly prohibits ‘symbols of intolerance or terms that are historically associated with intolerance.’
The webpage states: “Items, media, or propaganda associated with Nazism, white supremacy, or any other hate groups which promote prejudice or bigotry.”
Images of the pulled clothing showed T-shirts and hoodies featuring a raised, white arm with an extended flat palm held above a black, clenched fist.
The slogan on the clothing reads: “Paper Beats Rock.”
The styling of the white arm bore a strong resemblance to the ‘Nazi salute,’ while the black fist matched the symbol widely used by the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the combination of imagery and wording has been co-opted by white supremacist groups online, who twist the reference to the game ‘rock, paper, scissors’ into a message of racial dominance.
Concerns over rising extremist imagery
The incident has surfaced amid ongoing fears about a rise in far-right symbolism across the United States.
Those concerns have deepened since the return of Donald Trump to the White House, with critics comparing the optics of some of his rallies to events associated with the Nazis.
Shortly after Trump’s election victory, Elon Musk faced similar scrutiny after performing a gesture to crowds of MAGA supporters.
Musk thumped his right hand over his heart, then extended his right arm out at an upward angle, palm down and fingers together, several times.
Some characterized it as a ‘Hitler Salute,’ though Musk strongly rejected the accusation.
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