Hobby Lobby has often put its political and religious priorities before its profits. Not only does the store close on Sundays to honor the day of rest, but it also forbids employees from accessing birth control with company health plans.
But now Hobby Lobby will face a nationwide boycott after one location put up a display urging customers to vote for Trump in the November election.
The company made a decision to seemingly endorse Trump over the weekend after a store dedicated three shelves to spell out the phrase, “USA VOTE TRUMP.”
Kari Brekke often shops at Hobby Lobby. But when she saw the store endorsing Trump, she was horrified. Although Hobby Lobby has not responded to the allegations, it seems that the store (or an employee of the store) intentionally put the letters in place to influence customers in the upcoming election that is destined to shape America for years to come.
The image was shared on Twitter, where it quickly attracted outrage.
“Call my old fashioned, but I prefer to be outraged at Hobby Lobby for making it so that employers can decide what kind of healthcare their employees can get.”
“We’re all aware that customers re-arrange these letters all the time, right?” author and YouTuber Hank Green wrote on Twitter.
Founder David Green, who still owns the entire company, credits God as his co-owner. He explained, “If I have anything, it’s because it’s been given … by our Creator … So I have learned to say, ‘Look, this is yours, God. It’s all yours. I’m going to give it to you.”
Hobby Lobby has sparked much controversy over the years. Besides the 2014 court ruling that allowed the company to prevent female employees from accessing certain health care services and pharmaceuticals, Hobby Lobby and founder David Green were caught smuggling artifacts out of Iraq.
By smuggling thousands of artifacts out of the Middle East, Hobby Lobby broke a 2004 law forbidding the import of cultural property from Iraq. Ultimately, Hobby Lobby was forced to shell out millions of dollars to correct their mistake.
The craft store chain has also been accused of putting people’s lives at risk during the coronavirus pandemic. Although health experts warned retailers that the virus could most easily spread in public, Hobby Lobby tried to keep its doors open for as long as possible. The company also refused to give sick time to employees – even those who fell deathly ill with COVID-19.
On Twitter, the image from Hobby Lobby sparked a massive debate. Hundreds of people uploaded comments that added to the national conversation. It seems that Hobby Lobby will face a massive boycott.
A Trump supporter added, “The left haters can’t stand a work of art on a store shelf. They would rather see graffiti, boarded-up businesses, fires, and people fighting. Get upset about real things like all the missing children at the border.”
