Walmart has removed a controversial T-shirt with a simple message — "Rope. Tree. Journalist. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED" — from its website, after the Radio Television Digital News Association sent the largest retailer in the U.S. a note flagging the shirt's message.

As RTDNA said, the shirt was being sold by Walmart with a company called Teespring acting as a third-party seller. The retailer removed the shirt within one day of being notified.

A Walmart spokesperson says the shirt "clearly violates our policy," adding that the company is reviewing all of the products it sells from Teespring.

Politically, this is significant for several reasons.
First, Ross is involved in deals concerning maritime freight, an industry – at least insofar as the U.S. is concerned – he is responsible for regulating as commerce secretary.

Second, he is tasked with administering the “America First” trade policies Trump promised to his voters – yet at the same time, he profits from Russian competition on the energy market.

And third, Navigator’s business partner Sibur is controlled by multiple oligarchs close to Putin who have Western sanctions in place against themselves or their companies.

The connection is also problematic considering that hardly any other issue has dogged Trump’s presidency as much as his alleged contacts to the Russian government, particularly in the run-up to the election. A special counsel is currently investigating whether Moscow illegally supported Trump during his campaign. The first charges have already been filed and the first arrests made, including that of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.