Employee Wearing ‘America Was Never Great’ Hat Receives Death Threats
Krystal Lake, a Home Depot worker, was fed up with Donald Trump’s slogan—so she made her own hat in response.
A photo of Krystal Lake that quickly went viral. (via Twitter)
Krystal Lake was tired of the slogan “Make America Great Again,” so the 22-year-old Bernie Sanders supporter decided to make her own merchandise parodying the phrase popularized by presumptive GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“She said that Mr. Trump’s slogan did not make room for bigger aspirations beyond the past and that he was dismissive of groups that did not fit his ideal demographic,” The New York Times reports.
She used an online design site to customize a hat with the slogan, “America Was Never Great,” and she wore it to her job at Home Depot the day after it arrived.
For a few days, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. But then the social media bullying began. Lake, says the Times, “was bombarded with negative comments, including death threats, on social media.” It continues:
“They were actually threatening to kill me over a hat,” she said on Thursday. “I couldn’t believe it. I was calling my best friend and I was like, ‘How is this happening? It’s just a hat.’ ”
Ms. Lake said she did not take the threats seriously, attributing them to Internet trolls.
“I think I’m hitting them with their own medicine,” she said of Trump supporters. “My whole thing was, I like being different.”
So, @HomeDepot, have you fired the employee who wore a hat that said “America Was Never Great” to work yet? Boycotting you until it happens
— ALB (@Littelbackstory) May 21, 2016
Way to go home depot….maybe we should all switch to Lowes! Home depot anti American https://t.co/vLtus8WCMD
— ProTrump (@jb40532001) May 21, 2016
@HomeDepot My family will not do business with Home Depot EVER again unless you immediately fire that disgusting malcontent.
— Stormin (@Stormin1775) May 20, 2016
Lake adds that angry people began calling Home Depot as well. Although the company has not yet dismissed her, Lake says she expects to be fired. A spokesperson from the company tweeted that the hat was not “appropriate.”
@Bikers4Trump Agree this isn’t appropriate & we wouldn’t allow it, but the store team didn’t see it. This doesn’t represent HD’s opinion.
— The Home Depot (@HomeDepot) May 18, 2016
As for the hats? Although Lake “had ordered only one,” said the Times, she “planned to buy many more.”
—Posted by Emma Niles
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