What is this Harris-Walz hat I keep hearing about, and where can I buy it?

In simpler times, a camo hat was the staple accessory for hunters, dads who fish, and people who want to emulate the style of said dads. But since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her pick for running mate in this fall’s election, this camo hat is about to be the political statement of the year. 

A big part of Walz’s appeal is that the man oozes everyday Midwestern dad vibes and true to form, he wore a camo hat — a mainstay in many a father’s closet — when Harris asked him to join her campaign as Vice President.

If this sounds like an opportunity for campaign merch, you’d be right. By the time Walz took the stage for Tuesday night’s rally, the campaign’s design team had created several Harris-Walz hat samples for him and his family to wear. Emblazoned with “Harris-Walz” in orange embroidery, the hats are available for pre-order and according to a Teen Vogue report, sales had amounted to nearly $1 million in just a few hours. The camo hat makes sense given Walz’s roots but fans of another famous Midwesterner couldn’t help but note the hat looked somehow… familiar.

Pop princess and unprecedented success story of the summer Chappell Roan sells nearly identical hats through her official merch store. Fans were quick to note similarities between the Harris-Walz hat and Roan’s, even prompting the Midwest Princess herself to inquire whether the hat was legit or stans were up to their usual hijinks. Well, the hat is very real and as of this article’s publication, still available for pre-order with an expected release date of Sep. 9.

Whether or not the hat was directly inspired by Roan’s, it wouldn’t be the first time Harris’ campaign has aligned itself with a pop star having a stellar 2024. Harris famously embraced “brat summer” shortly after President Biden endorsed her after he dropped out of the race. With Charli XCX’s approval (who can forget the Brat singer tweeting “Kamala IS brat” and thus launching dozens of think-pieces across the internet), Harris’s team continues to make decisions to appeal to the Gen-Z demographic. It would be pretty on-brand of the campaign to get in on another pop girl’s moment, especially after a recent viral Kesha mashup. Harris-Walz espresso when?

Jokes aside, if you’re interested in buying your own Harris-Walz hat, they’re available for purchase through Harris’ campaign’s online store for $40. All purchases are donations to Harris’ presidential campaign.