Trump Supporters Protest Starbucks by Spending More Money at Starbucks

Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump, angry with Starbucks for supporting a liberal agenda, are protesting the Seattle-based coffee chain — by visiting locations across America and buying coffee there. The protesters are using the hashtag #TrumpCup to instruct followers to place their Starbucks orders using the name "Trump," thereby forcing the barista to write the name on a coffee cup and yell it out once an order is ready.

As CNN reports, the movement gained traction after a video showing a white Trump supporter at a Miami Starbucks accusing a barista of racial discrimination went viral on Thursday. The man, who can be seen pacing throughout the store and demanding his money back, begins yelling "I voted for Trump! You lost!" because his coffee is apparently not made fast enough.

He then threatens to punch a fellow customer (who told him not to speak to people that way), though he leaves pretty quickly after the man says he’d be happy to "take it outside."

The hashtag #TrumpCup isn't new, per CNN, but it has found a renewed following after the video’s release. Some have claimed the coffee chain will "call the cops" if one uses the name "Trump" to order a drink, offering a video (which never actually shows police officers coming to Starbucks) as proof.

It is worth noting, of course, that the logic behind the "protest" — which isn’t much of a protest at all — is deeply flawed, as it requires throwing financial support behind the very target of the protest. And yet, Trump supporters, including actor Scott Baio, continue to take to Twitter, proudly sharing photos of the drinks they’ve purchased at the chain they claim to hate:

The new protest takes a bit of heat off Starbucks for its seasonal red cups, which have been mired in their own controversy. Last year, a Christian internet evangelist wearing a Jesus Christ shirt and toting a handgun argued that the chain’s red cups weren’t Christmasy enough. He fought back by imploring his followers to use the name "Merry Christmas" when ordering their beverages.

So, if you’re mad at Starbucks — a chain worth some $50 billion — be sure to visit your nearest location, wait in line, spend $5 on a coffee, and take a photo of it. That’ll show ‘em.

• Trump Supporters Launch #TrumpCup As a Protest Against Starbucks [CNN]
• Everybody Chill, Starbucks Is Bringing Red Holiday Cups Back [E]
• All Starbucks Coverage [E]