TOMS RIVER, NJ – When Gregory Dooner and Vincent Scuzzese opened their new business on Route 37 in Toms River, they knew some people in the community wouldn’t be happy about it. According to 2020 election results, where 60% of the residents of Ocean County voted for President Donald Trump, it’s inevitable that many of the 40% who voted for Biden would be upset.
This week, they opened up “Let’s Go Brandon” a patriotic Trump-themed novelty store that sells t-shirts, lawn signs, banners, flags, and car magnets in support of America, patriotism, police, firefighters, and the U.S. military.
You can also find the expected “Let’s Go Brandon” and “F-ck Joe Biden” gear at their store too.
Dooner said the media reception hasn’t been too nice, but admitted the negative reports from local bloggers and radio stations demonizing the store have only helped to spread the word to more customers.
“No news is bad news,” Dooner said on Thursday when asked how he felt about the negative coverage. “It actually helps us, because they’re telling their readers about us and not everyone agrees with them.”
A New Jersey 101.5 report by somebody named Kyle Moore called the store obnoxious and demonized store owners and Trump supporters.
To that, Dooner said thank you for the free promotion on NJ’s largest radio station.
Dooner has even garnered the attention of Facebook which is flagging posts about the store under the guise of vaccine misinformation because some of the merchandise promotes medical freedom.
During our visit to LGB, customers streamed in and out, filling bags with Trump 2024 hats, flags, lawn signs, and t-shirts. Dooner makes it a point to converse with every single customer and to build a personal relationship with them.
He has found a niche product that 60% of the community around him, according to voting results in 2020, seems to want.
As for as the dissent against him, Dooner isn’t worried about it, saying “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is real. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a term used mostly by the right to describe overly passionate and sometimes bizarre behavior by the American left’s reaction to former President Donald J. Trump.
One case of Trump Derangement Syndrome stood out to Dooner. A post by a scanner news page called his store “a study of fanaticism and cultism”, saying customers to Let’s Go Brandon are “obsessed…freaks and weirdos.”
Dooner said it was one of the best advertisements for his business. He now asks all of his customers how they heard about the store, saying he’s getting great press from those who are trashing the store online.
The negative press has also attracted positive press Dooner said. On Sunday, a Fox News crew will be onsite filming scenes for an upcoming segment on the Laura Ingraham show. Dooner said he welcomes all of Trump’s fans and supporters to visit the shop.
As for his detractors, he says they can keep blogging away, and, “Let’s Go Brandon”.
