Trump store in Huntley shuts down after eviction

The Trump and Truth Store in Huntley had its last day of business Sunday, but the owner aims to expand in the future with a new and bigger shop by this fall.

Store owner Lisa Fleischmann, her landlord, and their lawyers agreed to a settlement just before the store’s eviction trial began last month.

Fleischmann and her landlord had been issued citations for what the village said were Fleischmann’s violations of local sign ordinances. That prompted her landlord to begin eviction proceedings.

Fleischmann previously said she didn’t want her president-themed gift shop to stay at the Huntley location and was looking for a new place.

She said she hopes to snag a space somewhere along Randall Road in Algonquin because it is close to her home and accessible from Interstate 90.

The Huntley shop remained packed with banners, customizable T-shirts, glassware, and other memorabilia on the last day of business Sunday. Fleischmann hopes her new location will be “about five times” bigger.

But her plans don’t end there. She said she wants to create something “more than a store” with Trump bingo events, a craft center for kids, and space for live music.

“People are really excited about it,” she said. “I want to create a place where people can talk.”

Fleischmann said she aims to have an online shop running by the end of August and a new store open by October.

She previously said she didn’t want her landlord to be a villain and that he was a good guy and had been bullied. She said the store wasn’t about being a moneymaker.

Fleischmann and her supporters believe the store was targeted due to its political content. However, Huntley officials and Joe Gottemoller, the landlord's lawyer, stated that Fleischmann did not comply with local laws.

Gottemoller said the landlord owns the building and wants to find a new tenant who will understand they need permits for signs.