A craven appeal to gun owners or 'a Chappel Roan thing'? Harris-Walz camo hat divides internet

Vice President Kamala Harris announcing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday led to the candidates unveiling a campaign hat supporters are yearning for despite, or maybe because of, its resemblance to a cap created by a popular singer.

After being announced as vice president nominee, Walz took to social media and shared a post on X of him wearing a camo "Harris Walz" hat with the caption, "Capping off the night." The lettering on the hat is in "blaze orange," a color typically seen on hunting gear.

The camo hat worn by Walz, who the New York Times reported is a gun owner and hunts pheasants and turkeys, sold out soon after it dropped on Harris' website. The cap is currently only available for preorder for $40 with an expected release date of Oct. 14.

Harris may not just be competing against former president Donald Trump at the polls in November, as the two could be battling it out for hat sales. Trump's "Make American Great Again" or MAGA hats have been popular among his supporters since his initial campaign in 2016. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner wrote in his memoir that the MAGA hats earned the Republican candidate's 2016 campaign up to $80,000 per day, the New York Post reported.

'It's a Chappell Roan thing'

Social media users are comparing the hat released by the Democratic candidates to an eerily similar cap from pop singer Chappell Roan.

The difference between the two caps is the text on Roan's says "Midwest Princess" on the front.

An X user named bb bug questioned whether Roan allowed Harris and Walz to use her branding for their campaign. The user also mentioned how Roan turned down performing at the White House in June to attend a Pride Month event.

The hat even evoked a response from Roan who replied to an X user who posted pictures of both caps side by side.

"Is this real," Roan wrote.

Roan then reposted another X user who said, "How gay do you have to be to see hunting colors and think it's a Chappell Roan thing."

Venus Callipnge, an X user, replied to a post shared by late politician John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, who said, "Putting someone in a camo hat doesn’t make them a moderate or appealing to red state people. No one is that dumb."

In response, Venus Callipnge said, "Like hello? It's a Chappell Roan thing now."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A craven appeal to gun owners or 'a Chappel Roan thing'? Harris-Walz camo hat divides internet