Michaelah Montgomery, the woman who went viral hugging former President Donald Trump at Chick-Fil-A, stated Friday on Fox News that another fellow attendee received “severe” bullying and was ostracized after asking Trump for a picture.
Montgomery appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss her recent interaction with Trump and the aftermath for fellow attendees. Fox guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy asked Montgomery about a fellow attendee who reportedly received pushback from classmates after attending the event. (RELATED: ‘Pay Attention’: MSNBC Panelist Warns Biden Of ‘Big Problem’ Among Black, Arab Voters)
“So unfortunately the young Spelmanite, who enjoyed utilizing her opportunity to take a picture with the president, has faced some severe cases of bullying ever since then. She is being ostracized from her community. People are claiming that she made a mockery of her institution. And, you know, how dare she take a picture with a man like Trump,” Montgomery stated.
“It really speaks to college – especially an HBCU – it’s supposed to be a space where Black people can go and express themselves freely without feeling like they have to be a certain way to be accepted by their colleagues,” she continued. “Because that, unfortunately, is how we feel when we are in non-Black spaces and we feel the need to code switch.”
Montgomery said that while the attendee never came out as a “Trump supporter,” she was still villainized over asking for a photo. The ‘Conserve The Culture’ founder said Trump took time to speak to “each and every student” about what matters to voters and how he could earn their vote.
“So going to an HBCU is supposed to be a time where you can go and express yourself freely — whether that be social commentary or political identity,” Montgomery said. “So it’s really, really sad to see how when some people who are studying policy decide to exercise their First Amendment right and express themselves and their individuality [that] they can be ostracized or demonized for something like that. She didn’t even come out as a Trump supporter. She was just somebody there trying to obtain more information. Just trying to see what candidates had to offer.”
“Because, clearly, the last candidate only said, ‘If you don’t vote for me then you ain’t black – without delivering any tangibles,” she added. “So now the action item for us as voters would be to go to each candidate and ask them, well what tangibles are you planning to deliver if we put you in office? And Donald Trump took a second to speak to each and every student and asked them, ‘What matters to you? How can I earn your vote?’ We need to see more of that in our community.”
Videos of Trump visiting a Chick-Fil-A in Atlanta circulated on Twitter on Wednesday, with a specific clip of the former president embracing Montgomery. In addition to Montgomery, a massive group in the restaurant fawned over the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
