Starbucks clarifies Twitter user ‘MuellerDad69’ is not firing employees for saying ‘Merry Christmas’

Starbucks clarified Tuesday that Twitter user “MuellerDad69,” who tweeted that he managed a location and fired subordinates for saying “Merry Christmas,” was not in fact affiliated with them shortly after Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) appeared to fall for the hoax.

The initial tweet read: “I’m the manager of a Starbucks in Charlotte NC. I have informed my employees that they will be fired on the spot if I hear them say ‘Merry Christmas’ to any customers. I’m doing it because I personally dislike conservative Christians.”

The user, who has been suspended, listed his location as New York, not North Carolina, and was affiliated with “Weird Twitter,” a section of the social networking platform known for trolling and absurdist jokes.

“Chris (@muellerdad69) is not an employee of Starbucks and his account has been suspended due to impersonation,” the coffee chain’s customer-service account tweeted Tuesday. “Our baristas are offered the autonomy to choose how to greet each person, which can be anything from ‘the usual?’ to ‘Merry Christmas.’ No script is provided.”

Hello. Chris (@muellerdad69) is not an employee of Starbucks and his account has been suspended due to impersonation. Our baristas are offered the autonomy to choose how to greet each person, which can be anything from “the usual?” to “Merry Christmas.” No script is provided. https://t.co/gOy521Fj9l

— Starbucks Help (@starbuckshelp) December 17, 2019

King, who shared the tweet on his reelection campaign’s Facebook page with the comment “Wow” and the facepalm emoji, was among the users fooled by the post.

The incident was similar to one shortly before the 2016 presidential election in which another user, @randygdub, duped several conservative sources after tweeting “i love working at the post office in Columbus, Ohio and ripping up absentee ballots that vote for trump.” The user’s location was listed as California.

The Hill has reached out to King’s campaign for comment.