Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
A dispute emerged at a Michaels craft store when a customer named Greta alleged that staff members declined to frame a photograph of President-elect Donald Trump due to their discomfort with the image.
Greta recounted her experience on “The Jason Rantz Show,” explaining that after being declined by one associate, another offered to check with a colleague but ultimately also refused.
Disappointed, she left the store, stating that it was unprofessional to deny her request based on personal feelings about the photo, which she viewed as a historical moment.
A Michaels spokesperson later described the incident as a “misunderstanding” and mentioned that the framing manager reached out to apologize and clarify that political artwork could be framed.
However, Greta decided not to return to Michaels, expressing her concern that emotions should not interfere with professional services.
“I am sorry, but I do not feel comfortable framing this print and I don’t think that anyone else in this department will feel comfortable with it, either,” Greta said.
“No, I don’t feel comfortable doing it either. But what I can do is reach out to the other person in our department, and I will have her call you if she is comfortable with it,” she said.
“At this point, I quickly realized that they are not going to frame the print. So I just left politely,” she explained. “It was very unprofessional of them to turn me away. There is nothing morally wrong with the photo. It is a moment in history, and we should all be able to acknowledge and accept that, whether you are on the left or the right of the political spectrum.”
“The framing manager reached out to the customer the day after her initial visit to the store to apologize and let her know we would be happy to work with her on her framing project.”
“So, I found out I am allowed to do political artwork. I was very confused the other day. I’m sorry. As the manager, I was trying to figure out if I needed to defer it or if it needed to come through somebody else. I can definitely frame your art,” the manager said.
“I just want them to be aware of the situation, and to know that it’s not okay to let your emotions interfere with your profession. They should be aware of this for the next time that a customer brings in something that they may not agree with,” Greta explained. “I personally wouldn’t. I don’t want to reward that kind of behavior.”
