Invita Cafe, a San Diego coffee shop, is being scrutinized and review-bombed on social media for pro-Charlie Kirk posts and products as part of a broader national response on both sides of the political aisle to last week’s assassination of the conservative commentator.
Newsweek reached out to Invita Cafe via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a speech at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his “American Comeback Tour.” Tyler Robinson, who was arrested in connection with the killing following a nationwide search, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder and firearm charges. Utah officials are seeking the death penalty.
Kirk’s murder has drawn visceral reactions from both sides of the aisle, exacerbating questions and concerns about political violence and the lines between free speech and “hate speech.”
What To Know
On September 13, Invita, which, according to its website, has two California locations, one in Rancho Santa Fe and the other in Carlsbad, posted pictures and messages on social media lamenting Kirk’s murder.
The post, which appeared on Facebook and Instagram and remained live as of Tuesday afternoon ET, included a picture of Kirk in front of the American flag with the words, “In loving memory of Charlie Kirk.”
Another photo states: “By honoring Charlie’s legacy and continuing his mission he dedicated his life to. Today, Invita Cafe will be donating 100% of our profits to TPUSA.”
TPUSA refers to Turning Point USA, an organization founded by Kirk.
A final image includes the phrase “We love you” scribed four times around a circle, with the inner circle reading, “Thank you Charlie Kirk.”
Both posts included the following caption: “Stand up. Speak out #forcharlie #becourageous #turningpointusa.”
Sara Luisad, who is listed as a representative for the company, said on Instagram on Sunday that the business lost over 300 followers on the platform due to its posts about Kirk.
“To think ppl in our own community have a problem with a small local business grieving the murder of an innocent husband and father…so we lost followers…who cares? Evil will not intimidate or silence me. I will stand for truth. I will stand for freedom. I will lift my voice!” Luisad wrote.
Social Media Response
Invita Cafe’s Instagram post had 481 likes and 705 comments as of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, with the top comments all criticizing the business.
“Where’s the support for the kids that died that day?” read one comment, in reference to three students being wounded from gunfire in a shooting at a suburban Denver high school that occurred shortly following Kirk’s shooting.
“YIKES. RIP to this coffee shop,” wrote another Instagram user.
“Thank you for letting me know where not to get my coffee,” said another.
The business’s Facebook post received similar backlash, but to a smaller degree.
“As a small business taking political stances on your company page is quite suicidal,” wrote user Lewis Fair.
On Reddit, posts about Invita have received tens of thousands of engagements. One post, which as of Tuesday afternoon had been liked over 28,000 times and included more than 6,700 comments, featured the poster showing a picture of their plastic coffee cup decorated with a sticker that read, “Thank you Charlie Kirk.”
“Only noticed the sticker once I got back in the car,” the user wrote in their post. “I’ve been supporting this small local coffee shop (Invita) since I moved to the area…the gasp I gasped as soon as I saw it. I’m not surprised there are supporters in this particular area, but I am pretty shocked this place has the gumption to take a pretty divisive stance; and for something as innocuous as a coffee sticker?”
The top comment on the Reddit post said the following:
“The keep politics out of XYZ crowd really loves shoving their politics down people’s throats.”
Another reads: “Introducing politics to your small business probably isn’t a good idea but ok.”
The Rancho Santa Fe location currently has a 1.9-star rating on Google Reviews, with the majority of all new comments giving one star. Some who left reviews specifically mention the shop’s affinity toward Kirk.
Negative reviews have also apparently been submitted for the business on Yelp, as the company currently has a statement on the Invita business page: “This business is being monitored by Yelp’s Support team for content related to media reports.”
What People Are Saying
Attorney General Pam Bondi, on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s wife: “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society.”
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, on X: “The murder of Charlie Kirk could have united Americans to confront political violence. Instead, Trump and his anti-democratic radicals look to be readying a campaign to destroy dissent.”
What Happens Next
Tensions remain high while lawmakers and government officials continue to navigate the situation.
In Texas, for example, two leading officials responded to Kirk’s death by announcing legislative efforts to study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across the state’s college campuses.
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