Oakdale grocery store Facebook ad offers 20% off for Trump supporters
OAKDALE, Long Island (WABC) -- A Facebook ad put up by a Long Island grocery store owner has led to hundreds of comments, and plenty of division.
The owner of a grocery store in Oakdale is offering 20% off all items, excluding beer, to anyone who identifies themselves as a Trump supporter at the checkout register.
"We live in a free country and we have freedom of speech," Fresh Food Supermarket owner Jose Colon said.
Colon put the ad up on the grocery store's Facebook page on Wednesday night. It's gotten hundreds of comments.
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One person wrote, "I'm done shopping here. I'd rather drive out of my way."
Another person wrote, "Can't wait to support your business. God Bless America."
Colon is a Trump supporter.
"I don't try to make any kind of division with politics," Colon said.
He said he plans to put up a similar Biden ad at some point on Thursday.
When asked why he didn't put up the Biden ad right away, Colon said, "If I put Biden's right now, people are going to say, too late, so I stick the way it is."
Eyewitness News spoke with some of Colon's customers about the ad.
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One woman said she liked the idea, "Fine. I think that's wonderful."
Another shopper said, "Sounds good to me. What's wrong with that?"
Another customer said even if the food was free, she wouldn't say she was a Trump supporter. She said she would not shop at the grocery store again.
Colon said even though he has been receiving many angry phone calls and emails since posting the ad, he is not worried about losing business.
He said he's frustrated by the fact that the Trump ad on Facebook has been shared dozens of times and has hundreds of comments, but when he posted an ad in March advertising free food for police officers, healthcare workers and senior citizens, no one shared it or commented.
"They don't make any comment when you support senior citizens or first responders through the pandemic," he said.
Colon put the ad from March back on the Facebook page on Thursday afternoon.
It advertises free hot food for law enforcement, first responders, healthcare workers, senior citizens and truck drivers until further notice.
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