A Michigan couple has filed a police report and retained legal counsel after a Smoothie King employee in Ann Arbor refused service based on the customer’s Trump-branded clothing, raising questions about political discrimination in public accommodations.

Service Denied Over Presidential Support

Erika Lindemyer and her husband visited the Smoothie King location on Jackson Avenue in Ann Arbor to purchase a smoothie when an employee refused to serve them. The reason given was that her husband’s hoodie bearing President Trump’s name made another worker uncomfortable. A supervisor attempted to justify the refusal by claiming employees had the right to deny service based on political attire. The incident was captured on video by Mrs. Lindemyer, showing the employee defending the decision to refuse service.

Erika Lindemyer & her husband were refused service by @SmoothieKing (https://t.co/WpKp3vidLg)
employee in Ann Arbor, MI.
Watch her openly discriminate against Mr. Lindemyer because he dared to wear a sweatshirt with the President of the United State’s name on it. pic.twitter.com/NJHjbXR7Yc

— PattyMI (@PattyLovesTruth) March 2, 2026

Employee Posts Video of Refusal

The Smoothie King worker involved in the incident posted her own video of the confrontation to social media. In her recording, she stated that serving a customer wearing clothing with the President’s name was making her colleague uncomfortable. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, has a predominantly liberal political climate. The employee’s decision to publicly share the incident has raised concerns about whether discrimination against customers based on political viewpoint violates Michigan’s public accommodations laws, which generally prohibit refusing service based on protected characteristics.

Legal Action Underway

The Lindemyers filed an official police report following the incident and have hired an attorney to represent them. Their legal counsel advised the couple to limit public statements while the matter is under review. Michigan law requires businesses open to the public to serve customers without discrimination, though political affiliation is not typically a protected class under state statute. However, refusing service based on speech supporting the sitting President could raise First Amendment concerns.

Broader Implications

This incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding political expression in commercial settings. While businesses maintain certain rights to refuse service, those rights have limits under both state and federal law. The case may test whether political viewpoint discrimination in public accommodations constitutes actionable discrimination. Smoothie King corporate headquarters has not issued a public statement regarding the incident or whether the employees involved face disciplinary action. The outcome could set precedent for how businesses handle politically-motivated service refusals in an increasingly polarized environment.