Published September 13, 2025
Portage, Michigan — What began as a prayer vigil organized by three teenagers turned into a public flashpoint when local Office Depot employees refused to release paid poster prints, calling them “propaganda” — but a surprising turn saw FedEx step in, offering to print the posters for free and allowing the event to proceed.
The Prayer Vigil & The Refusal
In Portage, three high school students bought posters displaying a black-and-white image of Charlie Kirk — including his date of birth and his date of death (reported by the organizers as “assassinated”). The posters were meant for a prayer vigil.
When the teens arrived to pick up their prints from the Westnedge Office Depot, they say a “Print Supervisor” and a “Manager” refused to release them, stating the content was “political propaganda.”
Reaction & Corporate Response
Dayne Webb, the Kalamazoo Republican Party Youth Chair, spoke with The Gateway Pundit about the experience. In his view, both the print supervisor and the manager were involved in refusing service. Webb questioned why only one employee was fired in response, when two had allegedly refused the job.
Following media attention, Office Depot issued a statement apologizing, called the behavior “unacceptable and insensitive,” and confirmed that one of the employees involved was terminated.
FedEx Steps In
After the refusal, one of the organizers reached out to a local FedEx store. Not only did FedEx agree to print the posters, but they provided them free of charge, allowing the vigil to proceed with the materials the organizers had originally planned.
At FedEx, the young woman who handled the job told the organizers she was proud to fulfill their order. She said Charlie Kirk had helped her feel more confident in herself and brought her closer to God.
The Vigil & Organizers Speak Out
The vigil itself drew a crowd of between 75 and 100 people of all ages. James Asher, one of the teenage organizers, addressed the gathering, saying:
“It is upon all of us to be that light. The truth only gets washed away when we stop speaking it!”
Meanwhile, the organizers shared photos of the posters (now printed by FedEx) displayed on steps at the event. The poster design — once rejected as “propaganda” — was visibly present.
Unanswered Questions
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Why only one termination? Webb and others observed that two employees refused to print the posters. Office Depot says only one was fired.
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Definition of “propaganda”: What internal policy or criteria led the Office Depot employees to label the posters that way? That remains unclear.
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Advance payment & customer rights: The organizers had paid in advance for the prints. What policy does Office Depot have about refunding or releasing paid orders when they are later refused?
Implications
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Normalization of Bias
– Labeling a prayer vigil poster as “propaganda” highlights the growing hostility conservatives face in everyday spaces. -
Impact on Youth
– Three teenagers — not political figures — were denied a service they had paid for, sending the message that young conservatives can be singled out. -
Corporate Double Standards
– Critics argue that if the posters had honored a figure outside conservative circles, the refusal would not have occurred. -
Community Contrast
– FedEx’s decision to print the posters for free stands as a counterexample, proving not all businesses cave to ideological bias. -
Apologies vs. Accountability
– Office Depot’s corporate apology came only after public backlash, raising questions about whether true fairness is enforced internally. -
Call to Action
– Conservatives are urged to continue documenting and exposing these incidents to prevent bias from being quietly normalized.
Overall Takeaway:
The Office Depot poster dispute shows how a simple customer request can quickly expose deeper tensions in American life. For the teens who organized the Charlie Kirk prayer vigil, the refusal was a reminder that conservative values are often dismissed or mischaracterized. For Office Depot, the fallout forced an apology, an employee dismissal, and a scramble to contain reputational damage.
Yet the contrasting response from FedEx — printing the posters for free and offering encouragement — demonstrates that fair treatment and respect for customers’ beliefs still exist in the marketplace. The episode ultimately underscores a clear point: when bias is exposed, accountability matters, and when one institution falters, others can rise to meet the need.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – EXCLUSIVE…Young Organizer Speaks Out After Office Depot Refuses to Print Charlie Kirk Posters for Prayer Vigil—FedEx Steps Up—Prints Posters for FREE [VIDEO]
RELATED: UPDATE: Office Depot Corporate Responds and Gen Manager Leaves Voicemail For Teen Organizer of Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil After Employees Refused To Print “Propaganda” Posters For Them: “Uh, Understand we had um, a print job…”
Published September 13, 2025
Office Depot Responds After Employees Refuse to Print Posters for Charlie Kirk Vigil
A Michigan branch of Office Depot has come under fire after employees refused to release posters ordered for a prayer vigil honoring Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, calling the material “propaganda.”
The Incident
Three teenagers in Portage, Michigan, placed a print order for vigil posters and paid in advance. When they arrived to pick up the job, they say a supervisor and manager refused, reportedly telling them: “We don’t print propaganda.” Despite the teens clarifying the prints were for a prayer vigil, staff held their position and did not release the order.
The exchange, captured on video, quickly spread online and drew national attention.
Company Response
Office Depot corporate headquarters issued a statement calling the employee behavior “unacceptable and insensitive.” The company confirmed the refusal violated company policy and said the associate involved “is no longer with the organization.” The statement also included an apology to the students.
In addition, the store’s general manager later left a voicemail for one of the teens, saying:
“I’m happy to get you taken care of in any way possible. Um, understand we had a print job that we didn’t do for you and just wanna make sure that I’m here if you need something printed, we got you…”
“James,” an Office Depot store manager, reached out by phone to one of the teenagers who was refused service by one of their supervisors and a manager at the Portage, Michigan, store. In his voicemail (transcript below), the manager said:
Good afternoon, James. This is Justin from Opskeepo [the Office Depot], uh, store manager in the Portage location that you visited uh, earlier this afternoon. Just wanted to reach out to you and let you know that uh I am happy to get you taken care of in any way possible. Um, understand we uh, had a print job that we didn’t do for you and just wanna make sure that I’m here if you need something printed we got you so, um, please feel free to reach out to me, 269-XXX-XXX. Have a good night.
Unfortunately, the message from the Office Depot store came a little late, since when he called the teen, he was already attending the prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk.
The Aftermath
FedEx in Portage stepped in, providing the posters free of charge after learning Office Depot had turned down the job. The teenagers were able to display the materials at the prayer event as planned.
While Office Depot has moved quickly to address the controversy, the incident has sparked criticism and drawn new attention to how frontline employees handle politically or religiously themed customer requests.
Overall Takeaway:
The Office Depot poster controversy highlights how a single refusal at the store level can escalate into a national debate on free expression, corporate accountability, and political bias. What began as three teenagers attempting to print posters for a prayer vigil honoring Charlie Kirk quickly snowballed after staff labeled the order as “propaganda.”
The company has since apologized, terminated at least one employee, and attempted damage control — including a voicemail from the store’s general manager offering assistance. But the damage was already done: the incident fueled online outrage, sparked boycott calls, and raised broader questions about whether political or religious viewpoints are treated fairly in public-facing services.
In the end, the teens received their posters for free from a competitor, FedEx, underscoring how quickly community alternatives can step in when a corporate misstep occurs. The real test for Office Depot now lies not in statements, but in how it restores customer trust, ensures equal service to all viewpoints, and prevents another incident that could once again place it at the center of a heated cultural battle.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – UPDATE: Office Depot Corporate Responds and Gen Manager Leaves Voicemail For Teen Organizer of Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil After Employees Refused To Print “Propaganda” Posters For Them: “Uh, Understand we had um, a print job…”
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