Watch: Store Refuses Service Because They “Hate Trump”

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,

In an incident proving that TDS is still rampant, a Michaels Arts & Crafts store in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, refused to custom-frame a portrait of President Trump, as well as a historic moon landing newspaper, and a religious-themed art print.

Employees told the customer the items were “ineligible” and that the company does not do “political pieces.” One account of the encounter says an employee stated on camera that “Our company hates the President.”

Corporate later insisted no such policy exists. The employees remain on the job. Customers are already shifting business elsewhere and floating simple tests of consistency.

This past weekend, Terpsehore “Tore” Maras walked into the Michaels at 1361 SOM Center Road with three items for framing: an original front page of the Cleveland Press from the moon landing era, a Jon McNaughton print, and a portrait of President Trump.

According to her complaint and the video she posted, a framing associate examined the pieces, left, and returned with a manager. The staff declared the items “ineligible” under company policy and said they were “not allowed to do political pieces.”

Maras has said she explained the work was for private home display, not campaign material. The refusal stood. In the interaction she asked whether this was official policy, noting “it’s not political, this is for my house.”

She later recorded a call to Michaels customer care. The representative described a policy covering “sensitive items or things that are inappropriate,” then declined to say whether a moon-landing newspaper, a presidential portrait, or religious artwork fell into that category.

Maras filed a consumer complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s office. She has accused the retailer of misrepresenting why an advertised service was unavailable. Cleveland.com reported the filing and the company’s response.

A Michaels spokesperson told the outlet: “At Michaels, we are committed to providing a welcoming experience for every customer. Michaels does not have a policy prohibiting the framing of political items. We are following up with the customer to make this right and ensure her project needs are met.”

This is not even the first time. In November 2024 a Michaels in Sequim, Washington, declined to frame the well-known photo of Trump raising his fist after the Butler assassination attempt. Employees said they were uncomfortable.

Corporate called it a misunderstanding; a framing manager later apologized and offered to complete the order. The pattern of local staff citing an unwritten ban, followed by corporate denial, has repeated.

A Case Western Reserve University law professor noted in the Cleveland.com piece that a private retailer could “very likely refuse” service on political grounds without violating public-accommodation laws, which typically protect categories such as race and sex rather than viewpoint.

The customer’s complaint focuses more on alleged misrepresentation of the reason for refusal than on a free-speech claim against the company.

Public reaction has been direct. Customers have announced they are moving holiday crafting purchases to Hobby Lobby and other competitors.

Others have proposed a straightforward consistency check: bring photographs of Obama or Biden, or newspaper front pages from the George Floyd period, and see whether those items receive the same “political pieces” treatment.

One reply suggested flooding the specific store with Trump images so the same employees must process them under the company’s stated policy.

Michaels is owned by Apollo Global Management, which took the company private in 2021. The framing counter is a routine service sold to any customer.

The company has said it will complete the order. Whether the employees who cited a nonexistent policy face any consequence has not been announced.