A Virginia business owner refused a Vice President Joe Biden campaign visit at his three month old bakery on Wednesday because of President Barack Obama’s recent “you didn’t build that” comments.
Chris McMurray, the founder and owner of “Crumb and Get it” in Radford, turned away the vice president’s advance team when they approached him about using his establishment as a stop on the way to a campaign rally in Blacksburg, Va., WDBJ7 reports.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime but essentially I said ‘No offense to you or the campaign but I just decline you guys coming in here. At that time she said ‘Are you sure? There’s going to be a lot of press, a lot of activity,’” McMurray told the local station.
According to McMurray, his decision stemmed from the president’s Roanoke, Va. speech in which Obama stressed that entrepreneurs owed others for their successes.
“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help,” Obama said last month. “There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
Murray reportedly did not want to be part of the administration’s photo op.
“Very simply, ‘you didn’t build that’” McMurray said, explaining his reasoning. “Speaking of small businesses and entrepreneurs all across this country, and actually last night my wife was up all night. No sleep, she’s worked a full 24 hours.”
With a big “no” from “Crumb and Get it” the Biden team instead took his campaigning visit to nearby “River City Grill,” which WDBJ7 reports did not care about the politics, just the business.
“If you want to throw in some libertarians as well that’s fine too. Stop in as well,” Chris Bell of “River City Grill” said. “Just bring your money. Sure, right!”
According to WDBJ7, despite McMurray’s denial, the Secret Service still bought a number of sweets from his bakery.