When Whoopi Goldberg of ABC's “The View” called grocery store owners “pigs” over food inflation, grocery store owners responded with applause and insults. The Post has learned that the store owner expressed concern that doing so could expose him to further violence.
The comedian blamed supermarkets for soaring prices on his show Thursday, a day after Donald Trump won the presidential election by promoting inflation on the campaign trail, saying, “Grocery owners are pigs. '' he claimed.
“Your wallet isn't bad because the Bidens did anything. It's not because the economy is bad. Your grocery bill is the way it is because the grocery owners are pigs,” Goldberg said. said on the popular program.
of National Grocers AssociationThe company, which represents more than 21,000 stores nationwide, made similar objections in a letter to “The View” executive producer Brian Teta obtained by the Post.
“We are deeply troubled by these comments, which refer to people who operate grocery stores as 'pigs,'” according to a letter from NGA Chief Executive Greg Ferrara.
Grocery stores operate on “extremely thin” profit margins of 1-2% and are responsible for food inflation, including those motivated by this rhetoric to commit “violent” crimes against retail workers. is being misunderstood, the industry group said. .
“Statements that falsely portray grocery stores as being 'gouged' not only exacerbate these tensions, but further harm front-line workers who have continued to serve the public during these difficult times,” the letter said. There is a risk of harm.”
Food inflation is the result of “broader economic issues” such as rising labor costs, Ferrara wrote.
ABC did not respond to requests for comment.
“We are completely outraged by that comment,” said Zulema Wiskovic, co-president of Associated Supermarket Group and owner of two Associated stores in Rosedale, Queens and Brownsville, Brooklyn. told the Post.
Wiskovich said a clip of Golberg's comments went viral in the grocery industry, with many outraged that the family-owned business was being targeted by a celebrity who incited “hate” against its employees. .
“Grocery stores pay higher prices to manufacturers,” Wiskovich said.
“This shows a lack of understanding of what is going on in the economy,” she added. “It is completely unacceptable for us to be attacked in this way by a public figure.”
