PublicSquare, a website which bills itself as “the anti-woke online marketplace" and offers a list of MAGA-friendly businesses, found its mission completely upended after critics instead used the site to fuel boycotts around the country.
The platform connects tens of thousands of businesses across the country that publicly align with MAGA views and oppose “progressive priorities” such as women’s reproductive rights and diversity initiatives. To list a business on the site, owners must first affirm that they will “respect the core values of PublicSquare” and agree not to “support causes that are in direct conflict with our core values.”
PublicSquare urges the MAGA faithful "to embrace this community of customers and merchants by providing platforms, products, and services that enrich the way of life they hold dear.” It notes it "is on a mission to restore the culture through the power of commerce."
To use the platform, you simply enter your ZIP code and it shows businesses nearby that openly align themselves with Trump and his values. PublicSquare, which launched in 2022, also has direct ties to Trump—Donald Trump Jr. sits on the board of directors and is one of its investors.
A Reddit user who spoke to HuffPost on the condition he be referred to as "Jeff"—to avoid attacks from Trump supporters—noticed people in his San Diego community posting messages looking for ways to push back against Trump’s recklessness. Some called for boycotting MAGA-friendly businesses but weren’t sure how to identify companies that support Trump’s views.
Jeff, who had extensively researched PublicSquare at his previous bank job, chimed in with a tip about the platform:
“MAGA has made it easy for all of us to avoid their businesses. A couple years ago, they introduced a website — publicsq.com — to promote MAGA businesses. We can use that same tool to make informed purchasing decisions.”
His post quickly gained traction, spreading across Reddit threads nationwide among people eager to do whatever they can to oppose President Trump.
For instance, last month, a TikTok user with 19,000 followers filmed himself describing PublicSquare and urging viewers to use the site to identify MAGA-aligned businesses to avoid. His video has racked up over 348,000 "likes."
@timothyenjoyslife #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo Public Square..........
PublicSquare has increasingly become a target of online mockery, fueling the growing trend of people using the platform not to support MAGA-aligned businesses, but to boycott them.
Jeff’s posts, or variations of them, have since surfaced on Reddit forums in Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maine, North Carolina, and beyond.
Trump critics are also discussing PublicSquare on platforms like Threads and Facebook. One Facebook group, The 50501 Movement—which organizes Trump protests, rallies, and boycotts—flagged PublicSquare for its 164,000 members last month.
It's unclear what financial effect, if any, the boycotts are having on businesses listed on PublicSquare or on PublicSquare itself. The publicly traded company—led by founder, CEO, and president Michael Seifert—has seen its stock price fall by more than 50% since the start of the year.
Even before Trump’s newly announced tariffs, which have triggered global economic concerns, PublicSquare’s stock was already down 12%.
Keith Pedersen/Facebook