Michaels under fire after Ohio store refuses to frame Trump portrait and other items

The craft store Michaels is under fire for an incident that happened at its Mayfield Heights, Ohio, location earlier this month. A conservative podcaster who posts under the name Chaos Coordinator said staff refused to custom-frame three items for her: a favorite image of President Trump, a religious watercolor painting of praying presidents by artist Jon McNaughton, and an original moon-landing newspaper.She claimed an employee cited company policy and that the manager treated the items as sensitive or inappropriate.BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales plays the video that Chaos Coordinator took of the exchange. “So this lady decided she didn't want to service me because she didn't like the pictures I brought for framing?” she said to the employee in reference to the manager. “Is this Michaels’ policy? Because I'm going to write to them and talk to them about that.”“It’s not political; this is for my house,” she added.The employee continued to claim, “We’re not allowed to do political pieces.”In response to Chaos Coordinator’s video, Michaels responded:“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Michaels does not have a policy prohibiting the framing of political items, and we strive to welcome every customer. We've reached out directly to discuss your experience and ensure your project needs are met.”“I'm just wondering: What else are you going to be doing about this, Michaels?” asks Sara.She notes that this isn’t the first time the chain has ignited controversy by refusing a customer who wanted a Trump picture framed.According to a 2024 Seattle Red article, a Michaels customer claimed an employee refused to frame the photo of Donald Trump with his fist raised in the air after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, because it made her “uncomfortable.” She also claimed other employees would likely feel uncomfortable as well.“It's very interesting. ... It seems to be only Trump material that these people are worried about framing,” says Sara.She points out that in 2009, Michaels published a press release titled “Framing Presidential History” promoting its $99.99 special to custom-frame Obama inauguration newspaper front pages.“Wow. How historic. How special,” Sara mocks.To hear more, watch the episode above.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.