The posters were ordered by the Kalamazoo County Republican Party for a vigil held Friday evening in downtown Kalamazoo. In a video shared online by attorney Matthew DePerno, an employee, who identified themselves as the manager, is seen telling him that the store would not print the posters because they were "political propaganda."
DePerno shared on X (formerly Twitter) that after being denied, the group went to a nearby FedEx, which printed the posters for them free of charge. In a separate post, Representative Bill Huizenga expressed his outrage, stating it was "absolutely shameful" that the Office Depot employees refused the job.
In a statement to Newsweek, an Office Depot spokesperson confirmed the employee had been terminated and that the company had launched an immediate internal review. Office Depot issued an apology for the incident, confirming the employee's actions were "completely unacceptable and insensitive" and did not align with company values. The company said it is taking steps to retrain staff on customer service standards.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between corporate policies, employee discretion, and political polarization in the United States. Kirk, who was closely aligned with Donald Trump, was a polarizing figure known for his strong views on gun rights, abortion, and COVID-19 vaccines. He was shot and killed while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
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