Dressing up as Donald Trump used to be hilarious for Halloween, say Canadian businesses that rent or sell costumes, but they say hardly anyone is finding the joke funny in 2025.
"Certainly I haven't set up somebody dressing up like Trump in a very long time," says Christy Greenwood, owner of Theatre Garage in Edmonton.
"And I think a lot of it very much has to do with the rhetoric of the 51st state."
Back in October 2016 when Trump was still the Republican nominee for running against Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, Greenwood says lots of people were looking for blond Trump wigs. Her shop even managed to figure out what makeup to use to replicate Trump's unusual orange skin tone — she says the colour is called auguste and it's a standard colour used by clowns.
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But the costume's popularity showed signs of sliding the following year after Trump won the November 2016 election and was sworn into office the following January. Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid took heat for a picture of him donning a Trumpian blond wig, blue suit and a red tie for a Halloween party that year. Snarky comments on social media were quick to follow.
McDavid responded to reporters' questions about it with, "It's a Halloween costume, that's all it was."
Feelings in Canada about the U.S. president have continued to sour in Trump’s second term, particularly after he began suggesting Canada should become a state, even through economic coercion.
In Hamilton, where the Trump administration's tariffs have been hurting the city's signature steel industry, demand for the costume has fallen significantly.
Catriona Cameron, assistant manager at Theatrix, a Hamilton costume rental shop, says inquiries for Trump wigs were once common. But she says there hasn't been a single person asking for one this year.
At the same time, Cameron says there's been an uptick in customers wanting to go as Mounties.
"If we had an astronaut (costume) with an American flag, they've asked to have it removed," Cameron said, noting one person who rented a jumpsuit from the Tom Cruise film "Top Gun" wanted the Stars and Stripes patch on it replaced with a Maple Leaf.
Costume shoppers at Theatre Garage in Edmonton on Friday said they weren't planning to dress as Trump.
"It's a little played out right now," said Niamh Dower, who said she's not a fan of political costumes to begin with. "I think we've seen enough of him already."
Stephanie Labute said Trump is "kind of a joke right now to most of us in Canada" which makes it funny, so she understands why someone might want to go as him. She even agreed to try on a Trump wig in the store, and she did her best to imitate his hand gestures.
"I don't see anything wrong with it. I know if Trump saw that, he'd think people are mocking him, but he always thinks people are mocking him, so what else is new?" she said.
Dan Sims, meanwhile, said it's a bit of a sensitive topic.
"It's probably not something I would do, but you know what? He's orange, bad hair -- easy costume to do," Sims said.
Greenwood says it's not just a Trump thing -- demand for all U.S. celebrity costumes is down this year. Dressing as members of classic rock band Kiss has always been a popular choice, but not in 2025. Ditto for Katy Perry, even though she's now romantically linked with former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Greenwood's shop even offers a specific Perry wig, but she hasn't outfitted a single customer as the pop singer this Halloween.
There's duds if someone wants to go as Captain Canada, a beaver costume, as well as red capes for anyone who wants "The Handmaid's Tale" as a theme, Greenwood says, but those sorts of costumes are being rented for protests, not Halloween.
"People are doing classics. They're doing clowns, vampires, that kind of stuff," Greenwood says.
"I think this Halloween is a vacation from all the rhetoric and stuff."
She says customers this year are also asking where her products, like makeup, are made.
"Canadians are really, truly going out of their way to support Canadian industry as much as possible."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2025.
