CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — The owner of Crystal Lake's Trump Truth Store announced Thursday that she was closing the business, then said Friday that the announcement was "fake news" and that the store would remain open.
The original Thursday post said, "Closing store! Libs win!!!" and came just three months after the business held its grand opening at its Crystal Lake location, according to Shaw Local. The store later posted an AI-generated video depicting ABC News anchor David Muir and using his voice while claiming that "Trump haters" had made it appear the business was closing, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
As of Monday morning, the Trump Truth Store's Facebook page could not be located in a public search.
The latest reversal is another twist for owner Lisa Fleischmann, whose business has moved from Huntley to Crystal Lake after an eviction dispute and subsequently faced a temporary closure over poor sales, the Daily Herald is reporting.
Fleischmann's Crystal Lake store also became the focus of a traffic case this year that resulted in her arrest and, later, a guilty plea, according to an earlier article on the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
Fleischmann said in a response to social media posts that she had left the store early Thursday because she was upset and did not believe she needed to provide additional explanation for the closure post. The store followed the reversal with another post saying it was showing people "how easy it is to create fake news."
The store's website currently lists shortened hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, while saying the reduced schedule is temporary.
Fleischmann previously operated the Trump Truth Store on Route 47 in Huntley before agreeing to leave the property as part of a settlement with the landlord. The Huntley store had been accused of violating village building and sign ordinances, including over a roughly 6-foot inflatable replica of President Donald Trump, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
Fleischmann said at the time that she believed the enforcement action was politically motivated, while Huntley officials maintained that the issue involved violations of local ordinances.
The store closed its Huntley location July 13, 2025, and Fleischmann subsequently moved the business to Crystal Lake, according to media reports.
The new Crystal Lake location, at 829 S. Virginia Road, held a soft opening before temporarily closing in March because of a lack of sales. Fleischmann said at the time that she was making less than half of her rent in sales and was "lucky to get three cars a day" since the opening weekend, according to March article on the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
She said she was considering closing the physical store and operating the business online instead.
Fleischmann attributed the sales decline to the war involving Iran and said she believed some potential customers were reluctant to publicly display Trump merchandise during the conflict, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"Sales were really slow. It all started with the war. It was dead as a door nail the minute that happened," Fleischmann told the Chicago Tribune. "I think (customers) are unsure what's going on. Not everyone. But I think a majority of people are unsure what's going on. … And if you wear it, they feel someone might come up to them and ask them questions."
The store later reopened in mid-April, with Fleischmann saying the March closure had been temporary. The business held its grand opening May 16, with the celebration marking its relocation from Huntley to Crystal Lake, according to the Daily Herald.
The store sells Trump-related clothing and merchandise as well as products connected to first responders, the military and Second Amendment rights.
Fleischmann was arrested May 26 during a traffic stop after police discovered an outstanding warrant stemming from her failure to appear in court in a traffic case, according to a media report. The underlying case involved allegations that she was driving without a valid license and other related traffic violations.
Fleischmann was taken to the DuPage County Jail and held overnight before being released with a new court date. — Lake & McHenry County Scanner
Body-camera footage from the arrest later showed Fleischmann screaming about the handcuffs and threatening to sue police, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner. Fleischmann pleaded guilty in August to driving while her license was suspended as part of a plea agreement in DuPage County Circuit Court.
A separate charge alleging she operated a vehicle with canceled, suspended or revoked registration was dismissed, and she received six months of court supervision, according to the article.
Fleischmann has said she believed the traffic issue was a paperwork problem and that she had previously dealt with related matters in other counties, according to an earlier article on the Lake & McHenry County Scanner. She also said she believed the matter had been resolved and did not realize a December court appearance would result in an arrest warrant
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Crystal Lake Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.