A taste of Mar-a-Lago is coming to northwest suburban Crystal Lake.
After closing under threat of eviction six months ago, the controversial Trump Truth Store is reopening in a new location — a larger venue, which will offer even more MAGA-themed merchandise as well as recreational and social activities designed to bring together like-minded Trumpites.
The new Trump Truth Store is scheduled to open at 829 S. Virginia Road in Crystal Lake on Saturday.
The shop is just over 3,100 square feet, roughly three times the size of its previous location in northwest suburban Huntley, where the business was accused of multiple municipal sign and building code ordinance violations — in part over a life-size Trump inflatable that waved outside the store along Illinois Route 47.
Business owner Lisa Fleischmann shut down the brick-and-mortar store and vacated the premises in mid-July as part of a settlement with her landlord Ricky Lynfield Inc., which had threatened the business with eviction after several citations because of alleged code violations.
The landlord said those infractions violated the terms of the lease and demanded the store either comply with local ordinances or leave.
But Fleischmann said she’s elated for her retail revival in the new location — which will be bigger, better and stronger than the previous venue.
“It’s really big,” she added. “I definitely get my steps in every day.”
Crystal Lake officials said they were aware of the store’s relocation to their suburb, adding that the business must abide by all city ordinances.
“The city has sign permit rules and regulations that will apply to the business, just like any other retail establishment,” said Kathryn Cowlin, Crystal Lake’s director of community development. “The business has been made aware of the rules and regulations, and the city will expect the business to abide by those regulations.”
Fleischmann said she had intended to leave the Huntley store even before the eviction proceedings began, primarily because the space was too small to house her broader vision of a local spot dedicated to making America great again.
The new store will be open only four days — Thursday through Sunday — a week at first. There will be special hours on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Fleischmann said, noting that January and February aren’t typically lucrative retail months.
“I’m getting new shirts and new stuff,” she said. “All of that’s coming in next week.”
Patrons will be able to purchase a variety of MAGA-themed merchandise there including T-shirts reading “ICE ICE BABY” with an image of Trump dressed as a federal immigration agent, a nod to recent ramped up immigration enforcement, much of which has centered in the Chicago area.
There’s also apparel lauding the “Gulf of America” and the “Make American Healthy Again” movement.
Another shirt bears the message, “My rights don’t end where your feelings begin,” the words surrounding an American flag with rifles in place of its traditional stripes.
The Crystal Lake location had a two-day soft launch in late December when Fleischmann briefly opened the doors to customers looking to buy gifts before Christmas. She said she didn’t advertise much for that temporary debut.
Fleischmann said she plans to host a grand opening with a ribbon-cutting celebration in March, when she intends to expand hours and add more leisure offerings.
Some of those activities include Trump-themed bingo games and crafts for children, as well as a mock oval office where patrons can pose for photographs at a replica of the president’s desk.
Customers will be able to gather at a counter with barstools and drink coffee; big-screen televisions will air recorded Trump speeches and other MAGA-related media.
The new store will be called the Trump Truth Store and Hangout, reflecting the wider array of the business’s offerings, she added.
Fleischmann said she plans to advertise the new name in a large light-up sign outside.
She doesn’t know yet if she’ll install the Trump inflatable outside again, adding that she’s “holding off until everything is finalized” with the new venue.
Fleischmann said she doesn’t anticipate the new store will have problems with local ordinances in Crystal Lake, a city of about 40,000 roughly 50 miles from downtown Chicago.
The new store is in a more industrial area, Fleischmann said, adding that she prefers that scene over the previous strip mall site in Huntley.
“I think where I’m located is way better. Because blue-collar people are way more awake than people who actually went to college and stuff,” she said. “I love the area I’m in. I absolutely love it. I’ve gotten so much positive feedback. Just people passing by.”
She still contends that Huntley’s rules and regulations “were ridiculous.”
The store owner has claimed that village officials targeted her business because of its political leanings, while arguing that its municipal rules were overburdensome as well as antiquated.
In a written statement last year, Huntley officials said they had been attempting to work with Fleischmann for months to comply with village ordinances, which apply to businesses throughout the suburb of about 28,000 people.
“However, Ms. Fleischmann insists on maintaining signage in violation of the ordinance that includes temporary banners, flags, inflatable figures and signs placed within the right-of-way,” the statement said.
The Huntley store had been the scene of dueling protests in May, when roughly a hundred Trump Truth Store patrons gathered to support the business as it faced eviction.
Many were decked out in MAGA-themed apparel for the occasion, including a 12-year-old girl who came dressed as the president.
Roughly a half-mile away, some 200 protesters flocked to oppose the store. An organizer had told the Tribune the counterprotesters were rallying against Trump and his administration but also to declare that businesses must follow local codes and regulations.
As for the store in Crystal Lake, recent reactions on social media appeared to be mixed.
Some customers expressed excitement at the prospect of Trump Truth’s return to the northwest suburbs.
“We can’t wait to see what you are going to do with your new place!! Looking forward to seeing it!” one fan posted on Facebook. “Also, thanks for continuing to find somewhere that supporters of our President are welcome. Always take this to heart, you are very much appreciated. Thank you Lisa.”
Another patron referred to the new location as “the BIG BEAUTIFUL store,” followed by several exclamation marks.
But others have opposed its opening, with some detractors calling the business “a cult” and its name “an oxymoron.”
Someone on Facebook asked if presidential pardons would be for sale. Another commenter inquired about potential “Jeffrey Epstein merch.”
A few predicted the store’s second term would be short-lived.
“Can’t wait for it to close down again,” one critic posted on Facebook.
