June 30th 2024.
The owner of a bustling barbershop in Atlanta recently shared how his customer base has drastically decreased after unintentionally hosting a Trump campaign event. Rocky Jones, the owner, explains how he was initially misled about the true nature of the event.
It all happened on the eve of the highly controversial first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Trump's team had organized a roundtable discussion at Rocky's Barbershop, called the "Black American Business Leader Barbershop Roundtable". Jones was under the impression that the event was going to be apolitical and centered around the challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs.
However, to his surprise, the event turned out to be a campaign rally targeting Black voters. Trump himself even made a surprise appearance, calling in to speak to attendees. Jones was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, stating, "I'm like, why is the ex-president calling somebody in my barbershop? This has nothing to do with small Black businesses."
The sudden publicity surrounding the barbershop has already had a negative impact on Jones' sales. He reveals, "We had some calls Thursday. We definitely got some calls, some backlash, some angry people that don't know me and I have to deal with that." As a small business owner, Jones did not want politics to interfere with his business and was not comfortable with the attention his establishment was receiving.
Initially, Jones did not disclose his political stance but simply wanted to facilitate a discussion on Black entrepreneurship in Atlanta. He had no idea that his barbershop would serve as a platform to promote Trump's reelection. "I thought it was going to be something real private," he explains. "I'm thinking about Black businesses in Atlanta, small Black businesses in Atlanta. And I'm like, 'Ok, so when are we gonna start talking about this?'"
The Trump campaign responded to the controversy by revealing their written contract with Jones. According to the campaign, the two parties had signed an agreement to host the event at Rocky's Barbershop. Newsweek also reported that the campaign had paid Jones $4,800 for the use of his property, clearly stating in the contract that it was for a "political event". Upon discovering the true purpose of the roundtable, Jones plans to return the money.
The main objective of the roundtable was to rally Black Trump supporters and potentially win over new ones ahead of the November election. With the young Black voter demographic showing a shift away from Biden, Trump and his team are actively trying to sway this crucial electorate through events like this one.
In a related event, Trump even called into the roundtable discussion to celebrate the support he has received from Black voters, using his mug shot as his profile picture. It is clear that the controversy surrounding the event has had a significant impact on both Jones and the Trump campaign.
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