Kamala Harris' campaign is leaning into Tim Walz's rural Midwestern roots with new campaign merchandise.
The Harris-Walz campaign released a new camouflage ballcap that closely resembles "MAGA" hats sold by Donald Trump's campaign or at roadside stands in rural America, but with their names spelled out in bright orange instead of their rival's regressive slogan, reported Business Insider.
"Capping off the night," said Walz on his X account, in a groan-inducing "dad joke" that plays into his down-home image.
ALSO READ: Why ‘vanilla’ Tim Walz is the ingredient to beat Trump: Dem lawmakers
Other social media users noticed a resemblance to the "Midwestern Princess" camo hats sold by Gen Z pop star Chappell Roan, who just drew a record crowd at last weekend's Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago – and the "Hot To Go" singer herself commented on the similarity.
"Is this real?" Roan posted on her X account.
The Harris-Walz campaign insisted the hats were a nod to the vice presidential candidate's love for hunting and the outdoors, rather than a nod to anyone else's merchandise.
"We released a camo hat because Tim Walz infamously often wears a camo hat," a campaign representative said.
Experts agreed the hats were a reference to a broader cultural context than the 26-year-old Roan, whose 2023 debut album is called "The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess."
"The camo baseball cap is commonly worn by hunters, and many others," said Christian Grose, a political science and public policy professor at the University of Southern California. "I used to live in Wisconsin a bit more than a decade ago, and such a cap was common back then."
"My guess is Gen Z voters who shop at Menards in Wisconsin may be the strongest audience," Grose added.
The hat, which is available for preorder on the campaign website for $40, already seems to be a hit with younger voters.
"This is gonna be our version of the red hat," wrote one X user after the release.
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