An Ohio music shop owner placed a sign in front of his shop turning away supporters of President Trump, saying he felt “unclean and dirty” from doing business with them.
The owner of Joe’s Music Shop in Willoughby, Ohio, placed a sign outside his store outright telling those who support Trump to go “shop somewhere else,” WOIO reported.
“Dear Trump sympathizers, I am truly sorry, however, I feel unclean and dirty accepting money from you. Please politely shop somewhere else,” the sign read. “Sorry, I would rather starve and close the store than participate in wrongdoing. Many blessings to you. I hope you understand.”
But not everyone has been receptive to the anti-Trump sign outside the store. Joe, the owner of the store, said he had received dozens of phone calls protesting the sign.
“When I call cause you posted something stupid, that’s not a crime! Good luck, pal,” said one caller.
A few callers said the opposite, congratulating Joe for having “principles.”
“I want to congratulate you. It is so wonderful to find someone with principles.”
Joe said that he was surprised at how much attention his sign was getting.
“I did not do this for attention…I have posted things before about President Trump, so I didn’t expect this response,” he said.
The owner told WOIO he placed the sign outside his restaurant because he does not like the president’s politics and is tired of the rhetoric surrounding Trump’s presidency. Joe added that while he hates the president’s politics, he still supports the president.
Joe is not the first business owner to receive backlash for barring Trump supporters from patronizing their businesses.
A San Francisco-area restaurant owner faced heavy backlash last month for penning a tweet stating that he would not serve any customers wearing Trump campaign-issued “Make America Great Again” hats.
The restaurant owner eventually apologized after receiving heavy backlash from locals and people on social media.