Target apologizes, pulls Halloween costume after left-wing mob cries racism

The item, listed under the retailer's seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique line had been marketed as the "Kids' Glows Under ‌Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume.” However, after the backlash, Target pulled the item and said that it was not appropriate.

Target said in a statement: "We pulled an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners."

He added: "Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again."

The decision to discontinue the product followed a wave of criticism on social media, where users accused the Minneapolis-headquartered company of racism and some called for boycotts.

The left-wing content creator known as Blakeley on X, posted a video saying that it as an "insane Jim Crow racist costume" and compared it to a KKK hood.

X user King Roy said, "Target’s photographer (or whoever it was) definitely knew what was going on. They literally had that child mimicking the exact same poses. There’s no way that’s a 'clown' costume. Disgusting."

However, others did not see a problem with the costume and said that the backlash was unwarranted.

Brandon Tatum said that the backlash was driven by the "woke mob" and that "outrage culture has gotten so completely out of hand."

This incident adds to a string of PR troubles that have damaged the company's sales recently, including backlash over its 2023 pride merchandise line and its decision to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Target was among many corporations that pulled back on DEI commitments after Trump signed an executive order to target DEI practices.