{"id":2339925,"date":"2024-09-11T18:49:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T22:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harriss-pittsburgh-spice-store-visit-ignites-flurry-of-backlash-over-shops-activism-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T18:56:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T22:56:52","slug":"harriss-pittsburgh-spice-store-visit-ignites-flurry-of-backlash-over-shops-activism-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harriss-pittsburgh-spice-store-visit-ignites-flurry-of-backlash-over-shops-activism-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris\u2019s Pittsburgh spice store visit ignites flurry of backlash over shop\u2019s activism &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharriss-pittsburgh-spice-store-visit-ignites-flurry-of-backlash-over-shops-activism-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2339925&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Kamala Harris&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-arrington-magnet-of-welfare-services-pulling-migrants-across-the-border\/\" title=\"Rep. Arrington: Magnet of welfare services pulling migrants across the border\">recent visit<\/a> to Penzy&#8217;s\u2062 Spices, a progressive spice \u2063store in Pittsburgh, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/atheists-seething-as-huge-international-soccer-tournament-kicks-off-with-sermonette-and-prayer-in-jesus-name\/\" title=\"Atheists Seething as Huge International Soccer Tournament Kicks Off with Sermonette and Prayer in Jesus&#039; Name\">triggered significant backlash<\/a> from conservative circles. The\u2064 store, known for its \u2063outspoken\u2063 liberal stance and critical views on the GOP, \u200dgained notoriety for\u2062 a sign\u2064 it displayed\u2064 during the Republican \u2064National Convention,\u2063 which mocked &#8220;future fake electors&#8221; \u2063in connection with \u2063allegations surrounding the 2020 \u200delection. <\/p>\n<p>Following Harris&#8217;s visit, conservative commentators and bloggers began criticizing\u2062 both her and the store, leading to \u200dincreased negative reviews on\u200c the store&#8217;s Yelp page. In response to the surge of reviews, Yelp temporarily \u2063paused \u200bnew submissions to investigate the situation. Some customers expressed dissatisfaction with\u200b the store&#8217;s political messaging in their reviews, while others condemned the \u200bnegative sentiments \u200das harmful\u200b to national unity. Former President Donald Trump \u2063also commented on the controversy, adding to the discourse surrounding the incident. the incident highlights \u2063the intertwining of commerce and political activism in the current social climate.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Harris&rsquo;s Pittsburgh spice store visit ignites flurry of backlash over shop&rsquo;s activism<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1758397\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A visit Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> paid to a spice store in Pittsburgh has sparked outrage from conservatives due to the store&rsquo;s publically progressive politics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Penzy&rsquo;s Spices, a Wisconsin-based spice store chain, is vocal about its progressive nature. During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the store <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/2024\/07\/13\/welcome-future-fake-electors-sign-posted-at-penzeys-downtown-store\/74394643007\/?taid=6692eade50c72a0001523705&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>put up a sign<\/a> welcoming &ldquo;future fake electors&rdquo; to the state as a dig to the dozens of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nevada-attorney-general-investigates-alleged-fake-trump-2020-electors\/\" title=\"Nevada attorney general investigates alleged fake Trump 2020 electors\">alleged fake electors<\/a> who have been indicted for efforts contesting the results of the 2020 election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The store has an email list and &ldquo;About Republicans&rdquo; page on their website, which details the company&rsquo;s distaste for the GOP. Following Harris&rsquo;s visit on Saturday, some conservatives became aware of the company&rsquo;s long progressive history.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It started with some of the right-wing bloggers criticizing her and her visit and us,&rdquo; Bill Penzey, the founder of the company, told the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/09\/11\/wauwatosa-based-penzeys-spices-gets-negative-reviews-after-kamala-harris-visit\/75174102007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/a><\/em>, &ldquo;and then Fox News did sort of a fairly direct piece on us being the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/kamala-harris-meanest-spice-shop-pennsylvania-b2609509.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>&lsquo;meanest&rsquo; spice business in America<\/a>, which I thought was kind of interesting or maybe even fun.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Now some on the right of the political spectrum have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ny-orthopedic-doctor-accused-of-manipulating-online-reviews-fined-100000\/\" title=\"NY Orthopedic Doctor Fined 0,000 for Online Review Manipulation.\">leaving negative reviews<\/a> on the store&rsquo;s Yelp page. Yelp paused their reviews of Penzeys due to the influx of reviews coming to the page.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news. While we don&rsquo;t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to this incident, we&rsquo;ve temporarily disabled the posting of content to this page as we work to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events,&rdquo; a statement from the company said.<\/p>\n<p>One reviewer posted that &ldquo;my wife ordered from here not researching who they truly are. Received a Republican hate letter with the order. It&rsquo;s the one that Fox News recently shared. Though the spice was nice, we will never order from here again !!! Think twice before buying their spice !!! Believe and support what you will, but hate will never bring our country together, only love, understanding, respect, and unity will heal our nation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Used to shop here, but never again with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/student-suspended-from-education-program-for-saying-a-man-is-a-man-a-woman-is-a-woman\/\" title=\"Student Suspended From Education Program For Saying, \u2018A Man Is A Man, A Woman Is A Woman\u2019\">public stance<\/a> on politics. I&rsquo;ve voted republican and I&rsquo;ve voted democrat, but I will never support censorship, or political bullying. I never thought their products were that special, anyway. I just liked being able to sift the jars,&rdquo; another review said.<\/p>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> also weighed in on the shop.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Comrade Kamala Harris goes to an ultra Left Wing, Trump Hating, spice shop, which I hear has terrible, overpriced product, and calls for &lsquo;unity,&#8217;&rdquo; Trump posted on Truth Social before joking Democrats would replace her on the presidential ticket. &ldquo;How about a Biden comeback?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <iframe src=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/113108896108230504\/embed\" class=\"truthsocial-embed\" style=\"max-width: 100%; border: 0\" width=\"600\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/embed.js\" async=\"async\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Laura Loomer, a pro-Trump activist with a large online following, posted on X calling for people to boycott the company.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They hate Republicans and they hate Donald Trump! Look what I screen recorded off their website today. Why would a candidate for President campaign at a business that openly discriminates against conservatives???&rdquo; Loomer <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LauraLoomer\/status\/1832550077422039498\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>posted<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There were, however, also a number of Yelp reviews supporting and defending the store and giving them five stars.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1758397\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1758397\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s recent visit to a spice store in Pittsburgh has triggered significant backlash from conservative circles, primarily due to the store&#8217;s openly progressive stance. Penzy\u2019s Spices, a chain based in Wisconsin, is known for its liberal views. Notably, during the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee, the store displayed a sign that welcomed &#8220;future fake electors,&#8221; referencing individuals indicted for attempting to challenge the 2020 election results. The company also maintains an email list and an &#8220;About Republicans&#8221; page on its website that expresses its disapproval of the GOP.<\/p>\n<p>Following Harris&#8217;s visit on Saturday, conservatives began to take notice of Penzy\u2019s long-standing progressive history. Bill Penzey, the company&#8217;s founder, shared with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that right-wing bloggers initially criticized both Harris and his business. This was followed by Fox News labeling them as \u201cthe meanest spice business in America,\u201d which he found somewhat amusing.<\/p>\n<p>In response to this controversy, some conservatives have started posting negative reviews on Penzy\u2019s Yelp page. Due to this surge of reviews, Yelp has temporarily suspended new postings while they assess whether these comments reflect genuine consumer experiences or are reactions to recent events.<\/p>\n<p>One reviewer expressed frustration after receiving what they described as a &#8220;Republican hate letter&#8221; with their order from Penzy\u2019s despite enjoying the spices themselves. Another reviewer stated they would no longer shop there due to their political stance and criticized what they perceived as censorship and political bullying.<\/p>\n<p>Former President Donald Trump also commented on Harris&#8217;s visit via Truth Social, mocking her choice of visiting a politically charged spice shop and suggesting Democrats might replace her on their presidential ticket with Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer called for a boycott against Penzy\u2019s Spices through social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), accusing them of discrimination against conservatives.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this backlash from some quarters, there were also numerous positive Yelp reviews supporting and defending the store with five-star ratings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2339926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kamala-spice-shop.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[14436,4265,4021,4857,40686],"class_list":["post-2339925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-activism","tag-backlash","tag-harris","tag-pittsburgh","tag-spice-store"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kamala-spice-shop.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2339925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2339926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2339925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2339925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2339925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}