An employee at a Smoothie King franchise in Ann Arbor is no longer with the company after refusing to serve a customer wearing apparel supporting President Donald Trump.
The Texas-based smoothie chain confirmed Monday, March 2, 2026, that two employees involved in the incident “are no longer with the business” following an internal investigation by the franchise owner.
Incident Captured on Video
The controversy began Sunday afternoon when a woman and her husband were reportedly denied service because the husband was wearing a hooded sweatshirt bearing Trump’s name. Video of the encounter circulated widely on social media platform X, amassing more than 666,000 views by Monday night.
Accounts named “Leftism” and “Meme’nOnLibs” shared the footage, criticizing the employee’s actions and calling for consequences. The posts alleged that the employee later created a fundraising campaign and defended her decision publicly.
Employee Says She Is a Minor
The employee at the center of the incident, who described herself as a minor, created a page on GoFundMe claiming she refused service to “Trump supporters” and that she was recorded without permission. She wrote that after the video was posted online, she received hundreds of hate comments and threats, making it unsafe for her to return to work.
The fundraising page was later disabled. It remains unclear whether the removal was initiated by the platform or the campaign organizer.
The employee did not respond to requests for comment, according to The Detroit News.
Corporate Response and Investigation
In a series of statements, Smoothie King stressed its zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination, including on the basis of political affiliation.
“Smoothie King has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind, including political affiliation,” the company said. “We were deeply concerned to learn of an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan.”
Corporate officials and the local franchise owner apologized directly to the couple and confirmed that mandatory retraining would be implemented to reinforce guest experience standards.
“As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect,” the company said.
Broader Debate Over Politics in Public Spaces
The incident has reignited debate over political expression in public-facing businesses and the responsibilities of private companies to remain neutral. While businesses retain certain rights regarding service policies, companies often adopt non-discrimination standards that extend to political affiliation in order to maintain inclusive environments.
For the teen employee involved, the episode captures the risks of viral exposure in politically charged encounters — particularly when minors are involved.
