Office Depot Apologizes After Worker Refuses To Print Charlie Kirk Posters

Office Depot has issued an apology after one of its employees refused to make posters featuring conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The worker at a Michigan Office Depot was fired after allegedly refusing to print the posters for a vigil honoring Kirk, who was shot and killed while delivering a speech under a tent to a large crowd on campus at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday.

The posters were ordered by the Kalamazoo County Republican Party for a vigil that took place at Bronson Park in downtown Kalamazoo on Friday evening.

Why It Matters

The incident underscores the growing tension between corporate neutrality, employee discretion, and political polarization in the U.S.

What To Know

In a video posted online by attorney and Republican activist Matthew DePerno, an Office Depot employee is seen telling him that they will not print the poster because of its political nature.

Newsweek was not able to independently verify the footage.

The employee, who said they were the manager on duty, told DePerno the store “doesn’t print political propaganda.”

Another woman, who appeared to be filming the exchange, then joined the conversation, asking the manager what specifically about the request made it “political propaganda.”

“Because he’s a political figure and I don’t have to…” the employee began, before trailing off in mid-sentence.

In his post on X, DePerno shared that the group then went to FedEx, where the staff apologized and printed the poster free of charge.

The video racked up thousands of views online and caught the attention of multiple Michigan lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga, with Huizenga calling it “shameful.”

“It is absolutely shameful that @OfficeDepot in Portage refused to print this poster for the vigil tonight at Bronson Park in Kalamazoo,” Huizenga wrote on X. “These individuals paid for the work to be done and the employees appear to have refused to do it because it was in memory of Charlie Kirk.”

Following the incident, the company apologized, and said the employee had been fired.

“We are deeply concerned by the unfortunate customer experience that occurred at Store 3382 in Portage, Michigan. The behavior displayed by our associate is completely unacceptable and insensitive, violates our company policies, and does not reflect the values we uphold at Office Depot. On behalf of the Company, we sincerely apologize for this regrettable situation,” a spokesperson told Newsweek.

“Upon learning of the incident, we immediately reached out to the customer to address their concerns and seek to fulfill their order to their satisfaction. We also launched an immediate internal review and, as a result, the associate involved is no longer with the organization. We continue to aggressively investigate the matter and will take action where appropriate.

“We are committed to reinforcing training with all team members to ensure our standards of respect, integrity, and customer service are upheld at every location. Our customers and communities deserve nothing less.”

Kirk was a polarizing conservative activist, closely aligned with Donald Trump and influential on college campuses.

On gun rights, he argued in April that “it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment,” and on his show in 2023 urged listeners to “buy weapons, buy ammo,” and carry guns in public.

He celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade, insisting pro-life advocacy remain uncompromising, though he was mocked in one debate for mistakenly declaring a dolphin fetus was human. He also warned that “not voting for Trump is a ticket to one-party rule and would have nationalized abortion.”

Kirk also said hydroxychloroquine was “100 percent effective” against COVID-19, called vaccine mandates “medical apartheid,” and alleged Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci were part of a sinister global agenda.

What Happens Next

Office Depot is continuing to investigate the incident.