Ритейлеры США столкнулись с критикой за костюмы, напоминающие нацистскую форму и расистские образы

Halloween is still two months away, but America's big-box retailers are already discovering that choosing who or what counts as scary can be dangerous business. Target apologized on August 24 and removed a children's circus-clown costume after shoppers said its design evoked blackface and minstrel show imagery. The company said the outfit was "offensive and should never have been part of our assortment." Despite the statement and removal, Target shares reportedly fell as much as 5 percent the following day. Adding to the industry’s remarkably difficult Halloween, Target, Walmart and Amazon have now faced backlash for selling military costumes that some said resembled those worn by German soldiers during World War II. The outfits, complete with gray uniforms, peaked caps and military insignia, were criticized online for evoking Nazis, with some shoppers noting that Target, at least, removed its offending costume. Clearly, the country’s retailers need a less controversial source of Halloween ideas. May we suggest President Donald Trump’s continually changing cast of political antagonists as inspiration? This year, the possibilities are richer than ever as Trump's current confrontations span foreign leaders, Democratic politicians, central bankers, television journalists and one rock star. Some former adversaries have even migrated unexpectedly toward the presidential good books, which makes the collection easier to refresh every season. 1. Mark Carney: The Canadian Boogeyman Costume includes: Sensible suit, maple leaf and the unnerving ability to say no to the United States without raising your voice. Lake Ontario sold separately. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is the freshest addition to the collection. U.S.-Canada trade negotiations collapsed in August, with Washington now imposing new 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian imports and Ottawa preparing retaliatory measures. Carney has meanwhile sought to deepen Canada's economic relationships outside the United States. For the deluxe version, add a tiny European Union flag and a label reading: “May Reduce Dependence on America.” 2. Giorgia Meloni: The Former Trump Whisperer Costume includes: Italian flag, G7 lanyard and one photograph that absolutely nobody begged anybody else to take. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once appeared unusually well positioned to deal with Trump as a fellow leader of the political right. Then came June's G7 summit, when Trump publicly said Meloni had repeatedly begged him for a photograph. Meloni said his account was fabricated, prompting an unusually personal public dispute between the two leaders. A very Trumpian event indeed. The frightening part may be how quickly membership in the Trump inner circle can expire. 3. Zohran Mamdani: The Communist Under the Bed Costume includes: a mayoral sash, a rent freeze and confusing instructions explaining whether the wearer is currently an enemy. Trump spent the 2025 New York mayoral election season attacking Zohran Mamdani and calling him a communist. Then Mamdani won, went to the White House and developed one of the stranger political relationships of Trump's second term. The pair had been texting back in January, according to Mamdani. After another Oval Office meeting in February, he described their encounter as productive. This costume includes a reversible cape: “Menace to America” on one side and “Surprisingly Nice Guy” on the other. 4. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The 2028 Apparition Costume includes: Congressional pin, enormous social media following and mysterious 2028 accessory pack. Senate and presidential versions sold separately. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a frequent Trump foil for years, but the New York progressive now carries an additional feature likely to keep Republican attention fixed on her: she is reshuffling parts of her political operation ahead of a decision over whether to run for president or challenge Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in 2028. Don’t forget this little factoid when choosing your costume: nothing frightens Washington quite like a politician who has yet to say which higher office she wants. 5. Mojtaba Khamenei: The Supreme Leader Costume Costume includes: Black turban, clerical robes and a map of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has become one of the most consequential figures on Trump’s current enemies list. The Strait of Hormuz provides the costume’s most frightening accessory. Iran has continued to threaten shipping through the strategically vital waterway, while Trump is considering further limited U.S. strikes aimed at preventing Tehran from rebuilding missile and radar capabilities there. For the deluxe version: comes with its own oil-price spike. 6. Jerome Powell: The Ghost of Interest Rates Past Costume includes: Gray suit, economic projections and one terrifying phrase: “rates stay where they are.” Trump spent years pressuring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Powell's term as chairman has now ended, but there is a small horror-movie twist: he has not entirely disappeared, as he remains a member of the Federal Reserve Board and retains a vote on the Federal Open Market Committee. 7. Gavin Newsom: The California Nightmare Costume includes: Perfect hair, rolled-up sleeves and presidential speculation that activates automatically whenever anyone says "2028." California Governor Gavin Newsom has spent much of Trump's second term as one of the administration's most visible Democratic combatants, including through legal disputes over federal immigration enforcement in the state. Newsom's office said in July that newly released court records supported its claim that federal agents had politically targeted one of his 2025 events, an accusation the administration had disputed. The costume also contains one unexpected accessory: a tiny Trump Account. Newsom recently praised the federally backed children's savings-account program, and Trump promptly amplified the compliment on Truth Social. Even political monsters occasionally cross party lines. 8. Kristen Welker: The Follow-Up Question Costume includes: NBC microphone, notebook and the ability to ask another question when the first one was not answered. Trump's latest dispute with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker came over her description of his record in Republican primary endorsements. On August 30, Trump said Welker should be reported to the Federal Communications Commission for "rebuke or punishment." FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez responded that the agency has no authority to punish journalists because an administration dislikes their coverage. This costume is recommended for journalists aged 18 and above. Protective equipment not included. 9. Bruce Springsteen: The Boss Battle Costume includes: Jeans, guitar, and approximately three uninterrupted hours in which nobody else gets the microphone. Bruce Springsteen and Trump renewed their long-running feud this year as Springsteen turned his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour into an explicit criticism of the administration. Trump responded by calling Springsteen a "bad" and "very boring" singer and urging supporters to boycott his shows. Springsteen has since announced an October 3 political protest festival near Washington ahead of the midterm elections. Warning: The costume may be especially alarming in Pennsylvania, Michigan and anywhere else where "Born in the U.S.A." is still routinely misunderstood. 10. Whoever Trump Is Mad at Next Costume includes: Blank mask, erasable name tag and Truth Social notifications permanently switched on. This may be the most durable product in the collection, so you might want to invest in it for years to come. After all, Trump's political relationships can move remarkably quickly. Meloni shows that an ideological ally can become the subject of a presidential social-media dispute, while Mamdani is the reverse: a politician Trump once described as a communist can end up exchanging texts with him and enjoying cordial Oval Office meetings. So retailers don't need to decide the final design yet. Halloween is October 31. The president has plenty of time to pick somebody new.