Trump Supporters Triggered by Starbucks Barista Who Wrote 'Build a Wall' on Customer's Cup

If you’re going to protest an esteemed establishment such as Starbucks, perhaps a logical place to start might be not purchasing coffee from the chain. Apparently, a gathering of Trump’s most ardent supports in Charlotte, NC, failed to recognize that giving money to a store is decidedly not an act of protest.

The whole incident is truly anodyne. According to The Charlotte Observer, a few days ago a barista labeled a customer’s coffee with “Build a Wall” because she was wearing a Trump t-shirt. The woman, Kayla Hart, told Fox46 that she felt “bullied” by multiple baristas at the location and walked out after other employees laughed at her.

Prompted by such a fierce roasting of Hart, Republican groups throughout Mecklenburg County gathered at the offending location to protest the barista’s behavior. Instead of simply making their presence known, the “protestors” had the grand idea of ordering coffee using pseudonyms from members of Trump’s cabinet—and even the president himself.

“I gave them the name Trump and they did, they were very gracious about it,” one Trump supporter, Shellie Anderson, told Fox46. Other people gave their names as Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions, according to The Charlotte Observer. Clever!

Starbucks has apologized for the barista’s, shall we call it, creative license? In a statement, Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges said the company working with the barista as a “teaching moment” (presumably Borges means they have not fired the employee). “This experience is absolutely not consistent with our standards or the respectful experience we want to provide to our customers,” Borges said.

In any case, it’s difficult to imagine why someone who supports Trump would be offended by his literal policy. Maybe next time find a safe space to cower inside of instead—unclear if there will be coffee served there.