The owners of a Freeport brewery canceled a political gathering that was scheduled for their business Wednesday, saying they were never told it was to be an event that supported President Trump’s reelection campaign.
Lara Trump speaks with Joanne Fryer of Cumberland at Ricker Apple Orchard in October 2016, when she and her husband, Eric Trump, came to campaign for his father, Donald Trump. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
The Women for Trump bus tour in Maine and New Hampshire was announced to the media in an advisory Monday night. It listed Stars & Stripes Brewing Company in Freeport as the first stop and named several key participants, including Lara Trump, who is married to the president’s middle son, Eric, and is a senior adviser to the Trump campaign.
But in a post on the brewery’s Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, owners Brad and Nancy Nadeau indicated they had backed out of hosting the event and would be closed on Wednesday. They said they were misled and didn’t know their outdoor tasting area was being reserved by a political campaign.
“Due to a unauthorized political event being held at our brewery will we not open our doors tomorrow,” the post read. “Stars & Stripes Brewing was created to support veterans, services members and the community. We do not support or take sides in political agendas.”
In response to a commenter who posted on the brewery’s Facebook page, the owners said they were never told about the Trump campaign event.
“Yes I was aware that some women who support Trump would be coming in for a beer,” the reply said. “Now seeing from the media and the press release it looks as if they were here for an agenda. We here at the brewery do not support any political agendas therefore will not be holding the event, nor to elevate any protest or whatever else comes with political gatherings will not be open.”
Brad Nadeau told News Center Maine (WCSH/WLBZ) that he and his wife misunderstood what kind of event their brewery was going to host.
“This event that was kind of snuck up on us was not supposed to be a political event,” he said. “From what we understood it was a group of women traveling on a Trump bus that wanted to come in and grab a beer.”
“Beer and politics never go together.”
The Trump campaign and the Maine Republican Party did not respond to a request for an interview on Tuesday.
In the media advisory, other participants listed include Mercedes Schlapp and Katrina Pierson, senior campaign advisers; Pam Bondi, National Co-Chair of Women for Trump and former Florida attorney general; Dr. Demi Kouzounas, chairwoman of the Maine Republican Party; and others. Also listed are “Brad and Nancy Nadeau, Owners of Stars and Stripes Brewery.”
An update from the Trump campaign later Tuesday showed that the dinner event had been moved to Jimmy the Greek’s restaurant in Old Orchard Beach. The bus tour will travel to New Hampshire for a roundtable on Thursday in Concord and a “Women for Trump Empower Hour.”
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