NEW YORK – Grocery shopping isn’t generally seen as a political statement, but in 2020, all the usual rules of political correctness don’t apply.
A Long Island grocery store advertises a discount offered to supporters of President Donald Trump. The Oakdale Fresh Food Supermarket posted the promotion on the store’s Facebook page, a 20 percent discount offered to those who say they support the Republican incumbent in the upcoming election.
Suffolk County store owner José Colón is a Trump supporter.
“That was my intention, to do something good,” he said, adding that he thought a Trump coupon might remind people to vote.
The hack has mixed reviews. Some, like a shopper who drove six miles out of their way to shop at the market Friday in a Trump mask and hoodie, said how much they enjoy the promotion.
But others are not in the same field: More than 1,000 people have commented on the publication announcing the discount, with some calling it “embarrassing” and calling for a boycott of the store. Colón said he also received threatening phone calls, emails and text messages.
“In trying to bring unity to a community, you seem to want to divide it up a bit more when you say something like that,” said Gina Lafroscia, who is a regular shopper at the store and said Trump’s discount was a mistake.
However, Colon said Friday that he will offer the same discount to Biden supporters. He also plans to alert the police to guard his store.
“There is a lot of hatred, a lot of division,” Colón said. “It’s going from bad to worse.”
Naturally, discounts expire on Election Day.
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