He takes a beating, but keeps on leading.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is not only leading his party’s presidential race, he’s also leading the nation as the most popular face in the piñata business.
This weekend in Pasadena, Calif., Mexican soccer fans strung up Trump piñatas before Saturday night’s Mexico-U.S. soccer game at the Rose Bowl. Mexico won 3-2 in extra time to earn a place in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
Trump has made reform to end illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign and if elected has vowed to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to end the issue of criminals flooding across the border.
In the best traditions of capitalism, Trump piñatas hit the market after Trump announced his campaign and have since become a winner.
“It’s our hottest seller,” said Minaz Ahamed, co-owner of Jack’s Wholesale Candy & Toy Co. in Los Angeles.
“We are selling ’em almost as fast as we can order ’em,” he said. He said his regional distributor of Trump piñatas gets two shipments a week and has sold more than 200 Trump piñatas since they first appeared in August.
Trump is the only presidential candidate who has inspired sufficient fervor to have a piñatas created in his image.
Donald Trump makes an appearance at the Rose Bowl pic.twitter.com/4ZQSBBKDtM
— ESPN Tri (@ESPNFCtri) October 10, 2015
“We get lots and lots of calls,” said Marylou Hernandez, owner of the Cascaron Store in San Antonio, Texas. “It’s been very popular and very funny.” Her Trump piñatas sell for up to $200.
“We’re going to have to work overtime,” said Jesus Marquez of Marquez Brothers Piñatas. “We’ve made 200 Trump piñatas so far this summer. And this week, we have to make 100.”
The Piñata Party Palace in Austin, Texas, has sold more than 200 Trump piñatas in recent weeks. “It’s mostly Caucasian people buying them,” said salesperson Guadalupe Mendez. “We sell out pretty fast.”
“There’s this provider who keeps making them very friendly, like, cartoon-looking. They don’t sell as much as the one that has a big mouth and angry face,” Mendez said.
Read More and Comment: Wow: Look What Mexican Fans Did To ‘Donald Trump’ Before The Huge USA Vs. Mexico Soccer Game
