Michaels, the craft store, is facing criticism after an incident at its location in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, earlier this month. A conservative podcaster known as Chaos Coordinator claimed that employees refused to frame three items she brought in: a personal photo of President Trump, a religious watercolor painting featuring praying presidents by Jon McNaughton, and an original newspaper from the moon landing.
According to her, an employee referenced company policy when denying the service, and the manager seemed to view the items as sensitive or inappropriate.
During a segment on BlazeTV, host Sara Gonzales shared a video of the interaction, captured by Chaos Coordinator.
“So this lady decided she didn’t want to service me because she didn’t like the pictures I brought for framing?” she questioned the employee, referring to the manager. “Is this Michaels’ policy? Because I’m going to write to them and talk to them about that.”
“It’s not political; this is for my house,” she added, emphasizing the personal nature of her request.
The employee maintained, “We’re not allowed to do political pieces.”
In a response to the video, Michaels stated, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Michaels does not have a policy prohibiting the framing of political items, and we strive to welcome every customer. We’ve reached out directly to discuss your experience and ensure your project needs are met.”
Gonzales pressed, “I’m just wondering: What else are you going to be doing about this, Michaels?”
She pointed out that this incident is not isolated; there have been prior controversies involving customers wanting Trump-related items framed.
Earlier in 2024, a customer alleged that an employee refused to frame a photo of Trump, after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, claiming it made her “uncomfortable.” Others in the store might also feel the same way, the customer suggested.
“It’s very interesting. … It seems to be only Trump material that these people are worried about framing,” Gonzales observed.
She recalled that in 2009, Michaels had issued a press release titled “Framing Presidential History,” advertising a $99.99 offer for framing Obama inauguration newspaper front pages.
“Wow. How historic. How special,” Gonzales said sarcastically.
To learn more, refer to the episode linked above.
