Former Branch County resident Jacob Lindemyer gained national attention after he and his wife were refused service at an Ann Arbor Smoothie King for his President Donald Trump hoodie.
A video of the incident, posted March 1 on his wife, Erika’s Facebook page, went viral, amassing 5.1 million views as of March 4.
The story spread globally after coverage by the N.Y. Post, Fox News, and Britain’s Daily Mail.
According to a post from Smoothie King on X Monday, the franchise owner took immediate action, and the two employees are “no longer involved with the business.”
A social media profile for Jake Lindemyer lists he is from Quincy. He did not respond to interview requests from the Daily Reporter.
On Wednesday, the Lindemyers launched a $50,000 fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo.
Their request states, “Our family is being harassed, our characters questioned, slandered, and our lives threatened. It is unsafe for our children to attend school due to threats, so I must be with my family to ensure their safety. I fear for my family’s safety.”
The Lindemyers said they recorded and posted the video for their safety and to raise awareness about anti-Trump discrimination.
Erika Lindemyers thanked supporters in a March 4 Facebook post, adding “Some people are downplaying this incident as ‘just a smoothie,’ but we’d like to clarify that it’s about more than that. As Americans, we’ve worked hard to secure the right to be free from discrimination, regardless of our skin color, ethnicity, religion, or gender. This incident undermines our progress and highlights the need for human decency and respect.”
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Does Branch County have ties to the viral Smoothie King video?
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
