A woman has taken to social media to shed light on a distasteful message she allegedly received from a barista after ordering Charlie Kirk’s favorite drink at a Starbucks.
The fallout from Kirk’s assassination on September 10 has been far reaching, making headline news around the world. Within the US, the shooting has marked the latest chapter in an increasingly divisive period in politics. President Donald Trump wasted no time in condemning the “radical left”, with already escalating tensions threatening to reach fever pitch.
Kirk, a political activist and influencer known for his right-leaning rhetoric, had amassed a considerable following on social media, quickly becoming one of the greatest conduits through which the right attempted to reach out to younger voters.
Needless to say, his popularity reached new levels in death. The grisly manner of his assassination – coupled with the fact that he was shot while in the middle of speaking at a college campus – sent shockwaves across the US and beyond.
It’s perhaps not unsurprising that he has proven a polarizing topic since his murder. Some detractors – including popular talk show host Jimmy Kimmel – have already lost jobs for speaking critically in light of the shooting, while figures on the right are actively seeking to make a martyr of the 31-year-old.
One woman, from Middletown, Ohio, has now sparked a debate online after claiming that a Starbucks employee penned a disturbing message on her cup when she ordered Kirk’s favorite drink.
Autumn Perkins says she ordered the beverage from a Starbucks in Kroger on Towne Blvd, before taking to social media yesterday, September 22, to write: “The girl at Starbucks thought she was cute. I don’t even support Starbucks bc of everything they stand for starting with their satanic logo, but I support Charlie Kirk so I thought you know what…I’ll get his drink.
“Thank you Starbucks for proving to me exactly why I prefer to support my small local Christian owned and operated coffee shop. Well done
“This was at the Starbucks inside of Kroger on Towne Blvd in Middletown OH.”
The cup allegedly read, ‘racists fav drink’, with Perkins providing multiple updates underneath her post.
“I have already gone into the store and reported it to the store manager,” she added in the comments. “Unfortunately, the Starbucks manager is gone for the day so I will have to wait until tomorrow to speak to him. And yes, I will be reporting this to the corporate office as soon as I get home.”
When Starbucks eventually replied, however, they claimed to have conducted an independent investigation and doubted the credibility of the woman’s story.
“We’ve reviewed recent social media posts alleging that critical comments were written on Starbucks cups. Our investigation, which included a review of timestamped in-store video footage, confirms that in the cases shared so far, the comments were not written by a Starbucks partner,” they wrote.
“They appear to have been added after the beverage was handed off, likely by someone else.
“Hundreds of thousands of Starbucks partners in tens of thousands of coffeehouses work hard every day to take care of millions of customers who come through our doors. And in millions of interactions every day, our dedicated baristas get it right. But in any instance where there may be a misunderstanding or where we don’t meet the mark, we’ll work to learn what happened and address any issues quickly.”
Kirk was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first step of his planned American Comeback tour with Turning Point USA. His alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder, among other things, with the prosecution having made it clear they will be pursuing the death penalty.
