Donald Trump’s campaign team has given a response following allegations made by an Atlanta man who claimed he was deceived into hosting one of their events at his barbershop.
Rocky Jones, the owner of a barbershop, shared with local media that he was approached by a friend to host a roundtable for small Black businesses. However, he was taken aback to discover that the event was actually a pro-Trump gathering featuring two of the former president’s Black allies, Dr. Ben Carson and Rep. Byron Donalds.
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Jones expressed his feeling of betrayal, stating, “I feel like I have been betrayed.”
National attention was drawn to Wednesday’s (June 26) “Black American Business Leaders Barbershop Roundtable” event, which was held at CNN Studios in Atlanta ahead of the first presidential debate of 2024.
Jones admitted that the thought of giving back to the community in support of Black small businesses had never occurred to him before. However, once he heard about it, he felt compelled to take action. “It was just one of those things where you hear about it and you think, ‘OK, I’m doing it,'” he explained. Despite his eagerness to donate, Jones couldn’t help but be skeptical about the timing of his contribution, given that it was election season. “Just be aware that it is election season, and the timing seems a little suspect,” he cautioned.
Trump’s campaign vehemently denied the allegations that the barbershop owner was caught off guard by the event on Saturday, June 29th.
Jones signed an agreement with Trump’s team to host a “political event” for Donald Trump for President, Inc. The event was scheduled from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and cost $4800.
On X, Trump’s campaign released a statement mentioning that the business owner had entered into an agreement with them and had been compensated for the duration during which the event was held at their location. The statement was accompanied by a copy of the agreement.
Jones has remained tight-lipped about the release of the agreement to the public. According to local outlets, the barbershop owner expressed his concerns about hosting the event, stating that it had a negative impact on his business.
He stated, “On Thursday, we received numerous calls and faced some backlash from individuals who were upset. Although these individuals do not personally know me, I understand that it is my responsibility to handle these situations.”
