A group of Capitol Hill interns are demanding an apology after they say an Uber driver refused to take them to the Trump hotel after spotting them with “Make America Great Again” hats.
Matthew Handy said he and his fellow interns hailed an Uber ride near George Washington University last Tuesday night and needed to be taken to the Trump International Hotel, local station FOX 5 DC reported. They never made it to their destination, however.
Handy said he and his friends weren’t being obnoxious or pushy but were simply holding the MAGA hats in their hands as they waited. That’s when the intern said the driver began questioning them.
“He’s like, ‘Is that a Make America Great Again hat?’ We’re like, ‘Yes, sir. It is.’ He said, ‘Well, I can’t do this ride,’” Handy recalled.
The frustrated interns are now calling for the driver to be fired as well as a formal apology from the ride-sharing company.
“We also want a statement acknowledging that he’s been terminated because not only did he break Uber’s laws, he broke D.C. law,” he told the station. ” … Because you can’t discriminate because of somebody’s political beliefs.”
Uber released a statement addressing the incident, saying they’re currently investigating.
“We aim to provide a reliable service to everyone who uses Uber,” the company said. “We have reached out to both the rider and the driver, and continue to look into this.:
The intern who requested the Uber wasn’t charged after the driver refused to pick them up. It’s unclear if that driver is still employed by the company.
This incident is latest in a string of recent high-profile confrontations involving MAGA hats in recent weeks. A Texas man was arrested earlier this month after stealing a teenager’s MAGA hat and throwing a drink in his face inside a fast food restaurant. In May, another man said he was harassed by Cheesecake Factory employees for wearing the hat.
