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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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The Michigan man who said he was refused service at a Smoothie King because of his Donald Trump hoodie regrets that employees lost their jobs over the viral incident, but believes company officials had to make a shake-up.
Jake Lindemyer, 42, recalled Sunday's unexpected experience at a Smoothie King in Ann Arbor, where he and his wife, Erika, said they were initially ignored upon arrival. The father of two said the encounter was the first time he had been harassed for publicly displaying his support for President Trump.
"Sometimes we might get a look or something like that, but nothing to the extent of what this was," Lindemyer told Newsweek during an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
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Lindemyer started thinking about his order after walking into the shop when his wife asked the two young employees if everything was OK, he recalled.
"They didn't acknowledge us at all when we were standing at the register waiting to order," he said. "And there was another lady in there with two of her children, but other than that, the store was empty."
The employees then informed the couple they didn't feel comfortable serving them because of Jake's hoodie, he said. That prompted Erika to start recording the encounter.
"I was kind of thrown off guard and confused more than anything at first," he said. "It was surreal."
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Lindemyer said he has no intention to stop wearing Trump-related gear, including the hoodie he wore on Sunday.
"Not at all, I can't," he said. "It's something I believe in."
Lindemyer never expected the quick visit to be anything other than ordinary, but said Smoothie King executives likely made the right move by terminating the two young employees, including a 17-year-old.
"Our intentions were really to never have anyone fired from their job, but for that to happen to anyone else in the future possibly, I think Smoothie King may have made the right move," he said. "I'm not sure."
Following the incident, Smoothie King released a statement saying that it 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. Smoothie King added that the location's owner is "enforcing mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards.
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Erika Lindemyer, 39, said she received a message on Facebook from a friend of one of the employees' fathers apologizing for the incident.
"He was very apologetic," she told Newsweek. "He just said, 'I'm a good friend of the father and he wanted me to reach out, I don't expect anything in return, but I wanted to apologize for this unacceptable behavior.'"
Jake Lindemyer, meanwhile, said the incident exemplifies the highly charged and occasionally confrontational political climate in the United States.
"All the energy is just hostile, I believe," he said. "And I honestly don't ever see a conservative doing anything like that to a liberal. It's always the other way around—them shaming us."
Lindemyer said the incident has directly impacted his family, causing his children to miss school on Monday. His 18-year-old daughter has also received threats on social media, prompting the family to file a police report in Ann Arbor, he said.
"They've been threatening, saying that they know where we live," Lindemyer said of the messages.
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He also expressed remorse for the fired employees but suggested the incident might serve as a lesson in bridging divides and accepting alternative points of view.
"I'm just sorry for everyone that this really even happened," Lindemyer told Newsweek. "You know, they were probably misguided or mistaught and I just hope they do better."
Erika Lindemyer said she was also dismayed by the encounter.
"It's just sad to see all of this happen like this," she said. "I feel that we have to be better as Americans—really, we do. Together, you know? United we stand, that's what it should be about."
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