Democrats’ call for consumer boycotts over the Thanksgiving shopping weekend failed to gain traction as Black Friday and the days that followed produced record-setting sales figures nationwide.

The campaign, known online as #WABIT (We Ain’t Buying It), targeted three major retailers—Target, Home Depot and Amazon—accusing them of “colluding” with the Trump administration on deportation and tax policies.

The effort was supported by Soros-backed Indivisible.org and routed donations through ActBlue.

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U.S. online Black Friday spending reached $11.8 billion, a 9.1% increase from 2024, according to reported projections.

Mobile purchases accounted for over half of online sales. Total retail spending rose 4.1% year-over-year, with e-commerce up 10.4% and in-store sales rising 1.7%.

Spending continued through the weekend with estimates of $5.5 billion in online sales Saturday and $5.9 billion Sunday, leading into a projected Cyber Monday peak of $14.2 billion.

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Analysts projected overall holiday spending could reach one trillion dollars.

Tom Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Small Business Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told Just The News that large-scale boycotts had unintended consequences for small businesses participating in supply and service chains for major retailers.

“When you order a grill to pick up at your local Home Depot … there are dozens of small businesses in that transaction,” Sullivan said.

The boycott followed the political fallout from the recent 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

The shutdown ended without changes to Affordable Care Act subsidies and caused internal divisions among Democrats.

Eight Democratic senators joined Republicans in advancing a funding bill, producing public disagreements between progressive and moderate members.

Critics accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of yielding to pressure, and some Democratic figures, including Rep. Ro Khanna, called for his resignation.

Another point of controversy involved six Democratic lawmakers who released a video in mid-November urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse any “illegal orders” from the Trump administration.

The group—identified as Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, and Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan—raised concerns from critics who said the message challenged presidential authority on deployments for crime control and immigration enforcement.

Days later, on November 26, 2025, two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in an attack near the White House by a 29-year-old Afghan national.

One of the soldiers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died on Thanksgiving, while another guardsman remained critically wounded.

The incident prompted scrutiny of the video and renewed debate about its implications for public messaging surrounding deployed personnel.

Democrats also faced internal challenges following the release of Epstein-related documents they had pushed to make public.

The files revealed connections between Jeffrey Epstein and several Democratic figures, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Stacey Plaskett, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman.

The disclosures resulted in political fallout within the party and triggered internal reviews.

The White House announced a Department of Justice investigation into the matter.

The release shifted public attention onto Democratic officials and led to reduced public discussion from lawmakers who had initially called for disclosure.

The combination of the failed boycott, shutdown repercussions, reactions to the “Seditious Six,” and the release of Epstein documents contributed to a series of political challenges for Democratic lawmakers heading into the final weeks of 2025.

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