It’s no secret that the United States is deeply politically divided right now, and that tension is affecting all levels of society. Two female employees from a Smoothie King located on Jackson Ave in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were recently fired after refusing to serve a Trump supporter.
The story went viral after the Michigan man’s wife recorded two women refusing to serve him because he was wearing a hoodie with U.S. President Donald Trump’s name on it. In the footage, they can be heard saying, “We don’t feel comfortable serving you,” while the woman responds, “That’s discrimination,” adding that they can’t do it, as they “don’t own this,” referring to the Smoothie King shop. The couple is later seen leaving the store, both visibly frustrated by the situation.
This incident quickly blew up online, and Smoothie King had to respond. An official account said on social media that the brand is “committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind,” and that after investigating the incident, “the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business.”
The brand also apologized to the couple and confirmed that it has been “taking further action and enforcing mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards.”
The Internet Is Divided on the Firing of the Employees Who Did Not Serve Trump Supporter
As expected, the story incited polarizing views on social media. On one side, some viewers accused Smoothie King of being complacent with discrimination: “Too little, too late. These employees felt empowered to attack and berate conservatives.” Others commemorated that the two women were fired, saying that the brand “handled it professionally.” Some folks also protested against discrimination of any kind, stating that “personal politics shouldn’t decide who gets served.”
However, many people on social media did not believe the employees were wrong at all: “It’s not illegal. Any private business can refuse service.” Others said they “hope those women can get jobs with a better company,” criticizing Smoothie King for not siding with the Michigan employees. Some users also accused Trump supporters of hypocrisy, writing, “If a bakery can refuse to bake a cake for a gay couple, a smoothie shop can refuse to make a smoothie for MAGAs.”
