Trump campaign slammed for attacking Black business owner who felt 'betrayed' by political event at his Atlanta barbershop

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: The Trump campaign was criticized for its treatment of a small Black business owner who spoke to the media about his experience at what was supposed to be a Black small business roundtable event, but turned into a political event for former President Donald Trump, according to MeidasTouch.

Rocky Jones, the owner of Rocky’s Barber Shop in Atlanta, stated that when he was approached about the event by a friend, he wasn’t informed by anyone from Trump's campaign team that it would be a political event.

He stated that he felt "betrayed" by his friend regarding the event's purpose and expressed a desire to refund the payment he received for closing his business that day.

What did Rocky Jones say regarding the Trump event at his Atlanta barbershop?

In several interviews, Jones recounted how a friend presented the event to him as a small Black business gathering while he was overseas, with no mention that it would be political or any direct communication from Trump's campaign.

During the event itself, Rocky, who was relatively quiet, tried to shift the conversation toward small Black-owned businesses. However, the focus veered into political topics, highlighted by former President Trump's phone call to Rep Byron Donalds, which was put on speakerphone with the microphone held up to it.

When asked about Trump's support among African Americans, Jones didn't endorse the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Instead, he engaged with some of the ideas discussed and attempted to steer the conversation back to business-related topics.

However, Reps Byron Donalds and Wesley Hunt, along with Ben Carson and other Trump allies on the panel turned the event into an all-out Trump campaign discussion on the cultural richness of the Black barbershop experience, encouraging listeners to cast their support for the 78-year-old MAGA strongman while attacking President Joe Biden.

After the owner expressed feeling misled and received disappointed calls from the community, the Trump campaign team responded by criticizing Rocky instead of addressing the misrepresented nature of the event.

They disputed his account and insinuated that the barbershop owner was lying, citing a $4,800 contract signed by Jones that labeled the arrangement as a campaign event. However, this did not address Rocky's assertion that the verbal communication about the event was fundamentally different.

Despite billing the event as a Black small business roundtable, the Trump campaign's actions have led to criticism for openly attacking a Black business and using the event as a staged attempt by MAGA-aligned Republicans to claim support among Black voters.

Internet slams Trump campaign for attacking Black barbershop owner over political event

One X user remarked, "The level of dishonesty in the Trump campaign is just staggering."

Another user claimed, "Another time trump has taken advantage of the black community. It isn’t the first, and it won’t be the last." [sic]

Another user wrote, "To Rocky Jones: Thanks for speaking out!"

One X user asserted, "Dear Owner of Barbershop, you WERE betrayed. But this betrayal is nothing compared to what the convicted conman will do if he is elected, especially to minorities. And don’t worry, you don’t have to 'talk politics' at your shop. Your actions will tell the tale. #VoteBlue/ForAll."

Another user said, "Never trust a Republican, ever."

Finally, this user tweeted, "This is a shot across the bow of any other black businesses that are considering hosting a Trump event." 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.