Hobby Lobby is at the center of controversy yet again.
Some liberals are calling for a boycott of Hobby Lobby after a photo of a pro-Trump display went viral. While it’s unclear whether an employee or a customer was responsible for the display, the photo was met with liberal leftists’ outcry online.
The arts-and-crafts chain, founded by Christian conservative David Green, has often put its political and religious priorities before its profits displayed: “USA VOTE TRUMP.”
The brouhaha began when Twitter user Kari Brekke shared an image of the Hobby Lobby display. Although Brekke told Business Insider that she didn’t snap the pic, she did share the post.
However, Twitter users were quick to point out that it could have been a customer who rearranged the letters.
“We’re all aware that customers re-arrange these letters all the time, right?” one user asked. “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.”
Others called for a boycott of Hobby Lobby over the photograph. “I haven’t shopped at Hobby Lobby since they denied female employees birth control coverage,” one user wrote. “Here’s the icing on the cake.”
Another added: “Hobby Lobby refused to shut their doors when Covid was at its worse, it doesn’t offer health coverage for all employees and worst of all they are all in for Trump 2020.”
While there are many others who support Hobby Lobby over the photograph. “Time to shop at Hobby Lobby,” one user wrote. “I always knew there were more reasons I love this store. Hobby Lobby rocks!”
“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,” another wrote.
Meanwhile, Founder David Green 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.”
This is not new for Hobby Lobby, the store chain has sparked much controversy over the years.
In 2014, the company won a divisive Supreme Court case that allowed it to withhold employees’ reproductive benefits. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, the court narrowly ruled in favor of allowing private companies to be exempt from the law on the basis of religious preferences.
In March, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hobby Lobby was slammed for keeping its doors open and risking the health of its employees because David Green’s wife, Barbara, allegedly received the green light to do so from God.
“In her quiet prayer time this past week, the Lord put on Barbara’s heart three profound words to remind us that He’s in control: Guide, Guard, and Groom,” reportedly wrote David Green in a companywide message obtained by Business Insider. “We serve a God who will Guide us through the storm, who will Guard us as we travel to places never seen before, and who, as a result of this experience, will Groom us to be better than we could have ever through possible before now.”
Sources: AWM, Business Insider
