Originally published July 17, 2021. Updated November 8, 2021 and April 21, 2022.
Click here to skip to original story
Kyle Responds to Black Rifle Coffee Company T-Shirt Situation
On December 6th, 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse was interviewed by Elijah Schaffer and Sydney Watson on the YouTube podcast You Are Here. Kyle was asked about his thoughts on Black Rifle Coffee following the disavowal from BRCC executives.
“I like Black Rifle Coffee, I think they have good coffee…and it was a f*cking t-shirt people. Geezus. Why does everything have to be so polarizing? It was a t-shirt that was picked up off a clearance rack…”
Elijah Shaeffer apologized for connecting Kyle with the coffee company in the original tweet. Kyle shook his head in playful disgust.
Co-host Sydney Watson asked Kyle if he would start his own coffee company, “you could start a coffee company and all the people that now hate Black Rifle Coffee will come support you…”
Kyle looked over at Elijah and said, “Elijah, would you sponsor me?”
Elijah responded, “people would buy your coffee”.
Result of Rittenhouse’s Murder Trial: Not Guilty
Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on November 19th, 2021 on all counts by a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse was on trial for fatally shooting two men and injuring a third in Kenosha. The shooting took place during the BLM riots of 2020.
What is Kyle doing in 2022?
After the trial, one of Rittenhouse’s attorneys said he would be relocating to another part of the country.
Kyle created a Twitter account in December 2021 as part of his new public persona. According to the bio, the new account is managed by both Kyle and his team.
He launched The Media Accountability Project (TMAP) in February of 2022. On the website footer, TMAP describes the purpose of the organization:
“The Media Accountability Project LLC d/b/a “TMAP” is a Nevada Limited Liability Company organized to assist Kyle Rittenhouse with legal costs associated with holding the media accountable for publishing inaccurate and defamatory statements. In addition, The Media Accountability Project was established to promote fair and accurate reporting across all journalistic mediums.”
Kyle was interviewed by several prominent media figures and conservative pundits following his acquittal. Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck, Charlie Dirk and Steven Crowder all had long-form discussions with the acquitted young man. The final interview posted by Kyle’s team to his organization’s website is dated February 16th and was done by conservative political activist and podcaster, David Harris Jr.
What is Black Rifle Coffee doing in 2022?
The Black Rifle Coffee Company has grown significantly since last summer. In 2021, BRCC netted $233.1 million in total revenue, up from $8 million the previous year. The company went public in February of 2022, with shares hitting highs in April of $30/share.
CEO Evan Hafer said Texas is their primary focus for franchise locations. BRCC hopes to open between 20 and 25 physical locations by the end of 2022, with half of those being in the state of Texas.
BRCC’s publication wing Coffee or Die is doing journalism in wartime Ukraine. According to a report by NiemanLab, Coffee or Die has a team of 20 full-time staffers writing news and stories. They have published articles and videos on the ground from Ukraine, with headlines including Dispatch: Life Carries On In Wartime Ukraine.
Senior editor Ethan Rocke sees the publication views itself as a way to bring the “bro-vet” and “woke-vet” segments of military subculture together, “We try to find those things that more left-leaning or right-leaning outlets might avoid, or would have a hard time serving to their audience”.
New York Times Reports on Black Rifle Coffee Distancing from Kyle Rittenhouse
Original reporting from July 17, 2021
In a new interview with the New York Times, Black Rifle Coffee Company got candid about a number of subjects, including the January 6th protests, the Proud Boys, and most prominently teen Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot violent rioters during the Summer of 2020. Many right-wing voices consider the interview to be slighting.
Rittenhouse, hailed as a hero by much of the right, fatally shot two violent proponents of Marxist BLM last year as he was defending himself. The teen was charged with killing both, but thanks to an influx of donations from conservatives, he was released in November on a $2M bond.
Shortly after his release, a photo with Rittenhouse wearing a Black Rifle Coffee shirt was posted to Twitter by Elijah Schaffer, a Blaze contributor, and host of the Slightly Offensive podcast. The caption reads, “Kyle Rittenhouse drinks the best coffee in America @BlckRifleCoffee.”
Here is a screengrab:
But shortly after the tweet, Black Rifle petitioned Elijah Schaffer to delete the photo, according to the NYT. Schaffer eventually did. Once the tweet was deleted, a company executive released a video explaining, “we’re not in the business of profiting from tragedy.”
At the time, some influential conservatives were disappointed by the company’s actions, seeing the response as a slight to Rittenhouse, who many view as one of the only people willing to stand up to the BLM mob’s terror in U.S. streets.
And it was terrorism. It was burning businesses, beating elderly folks, and looting private property. In too many American cities, the government did next to nothing to stop it; countless violent criminals remain at large. But Rittenhouse stood up when most locked their doors and stayed inside.
The partially anti-Rittenhouse stance by the company, claiming to represent the right to bear, keep, and use arms in self-defense, did not go over well.
The company told the NYT that the Rittenhouse debacle cost it thousands of users.
Now, in the wake of the Capitol protest on January 6th, which also featured negative brand recognition for Black Rifle, the company is aiming to further distance itself from certain groups. Here’s what Black Rifle chief executive Evan Hafer said about the folks who were disheartened by the Rittenhouse reaction:
“It’s such a repugnant group of people … It’s like the worst of American society, and I got to flush the toilet of some of those people that kind of hijacked portions of the brand.”
Hafer also shared to the New York Times his thoughts when it comes to the ‘Proud Boy-ish’ style of customer, which came off as extremely vague and a bit elitist:
“The racism [expletive] really pisses me off … I hate racist, Proud Boy-ish people. Like, I’ll pay them to leave my customer base. I would gladly chop all of those people out of my [expletive] customer database and pay them to get the [expletive] out.”
Hafer appears to be buying right into the New York Times’ view that ‘Proud Boy-ish’ kinds of people — many of them Black Rifle customers — are inherently racist.
Of course none of us conservatives like racists. The small groups of right-wingers who ARE racist make it tougher for our message to succeed and thrive.
But these kinds of statements won’t help anyone… and many conservatives, including Mike Cernovich, have taken to Twitter to share that view:
John Cardillo, a NewsMax TV host, went on with a joke regarding the company’s seemingly ‘inclusive’ mission:
Another Twitter user chimed in, saying Black Rifle has that ‘liberal flavor’ to it:
Check back in for the latest news and updates. Here is a collection of stories on Kyle Rittenhouse:
- WATCH: Kyle Rittenhouse’s Mom SLAMS Biden for Defamation
- WATCH: Joy Reid MELTS DOWN, Compares Kyle Rittenhouse to a SLAVE CATCHER
- Judge GRILLS Prosecutor as Emotional, Brave Kyle Rittenhouse Defends Himself in Court (GRAPHIC)
41 Responses
So conservatives aren’t racist, declares the author of this article, while the comments are full of foaming-at-the-mouth anti-semites and racists. Kind of disproves your point, or maybe you’re just another conservative liar practiced in the art of doublethink.
8 out of 10 Societ citizens hated Soviet communism and living under the thumb of Big Brother, but it seems you’d rather take the opinion of the two guys, one with a gun to his head, saying Soviet communism was great. The internet is a collective cesspool where everyone, regardless of intellect or worldview, can have a voice. If the right is full of outspoken racists, the left is overflowing with racists projecting a guilt complex. I don’t believe either is truth, neither should you
You understand he literally has a podcast where he is espoused his views openly and clearly which is that he opposes racism. Evan Is very conservative and pro gun I’m going to believe the hundreds of hours of his actual words more than anything I read in the New York times.
The Talmud is an evil that teaches that jews are superior to gentiles and non-jews should serve jews. Anyone can read the Talmud now you LIAR. Judah-ism is an inbred, supremacist hate cult on par with Islam. People of all races and religions can see what you people do.
Ordinary religious Jews are not the problem. Ordinary religious Jews, the world over, are mostly poor in mammon but rich in spirit.
To blame all Jewish people for the ills of this world is like saying that all black people are evil due to the actions of BLM or all Chinese people are evil due to the actions of the CCP.
You are the kind of person, through your rhetoric, who makes ordinary Americans tune out Conservative views and, thereby, prevent some who might otherwise join the cause for Freedom to entirely disregard our Conservative movement.
Communism was invented by Jews. They tortured and killed millions of Russians during the Bolshevik takeover.
Yea, I’m done.
Yep, BRC has pissed in their own cereal now. FUCK them
Jewish-owned low-grade coffee company exploiting traditional Americans who have been excluded in the rest of popular culture.
BLC makes an excellent drain cleaner. Not fit for human consumption. It should be repackaged and relabeled.
just dumped out the rest of my Black Rifle Coffee into my toilet….would never give those whores another cent….adios corn pop…
I just learned of this crap from Evan Hafer and I just canceled our coffee club orders and membership. I will not support a company that pulls this kind of crap. I don’t care what his personal politics are and whether or not he voted for Obama. But when he pushes that same ideology via his company as it’s official position, then my money goes somewhere else.
Hafer voted for Obama and donates money to lots of Democrat related groups, such as Act Blue. This dude is grifting off the right. He supports leftist causes and sends your money to leftist organizations, who definitely aren’t much into helping veterans. Sad…
Well, they had funny product videos, lots of bearded tattooed special-forces types and their hot girlfriends in pink camo, the whole 9 yards. Makes you think the whole place was crawling with vets missing limbs being gainfully employed. Turns out, like so many who present a product with cleverness, that the owner is a self-interested POS with marxist views totally out of alignment with those he’s beguiled with slick marketing. Now that he’s being Mr. Tough Guy with all the swearing in his NYT piece (edgy!), he reveals his true self to his client base and now we can get the fuck out and find a much better coffee to buy. Bye Bye Black Rifle Commies
Just add them to the long list of those not trusted. They have corrupted the internet, science, the medical profession and on. All basically the enforcement arms of the government. Dont believe anything from these lowlife commies
Hafer is just another shekel grubbing, Israel-first, lying jew.
What do being Jewish or not have to do with it? Hager is scum but then so are you.
Communism was invented by Jews. They tortured and killed millions of Russians during the Bolshevik takeover.
Black Rifle certainly would not want to be associated with the right of self-defense. They are a proudly dehumanized alphabet-soup company who grovels to the effete crowd at the NYT.
How disrespectful and dishonorable to refer to St Michael the Archangel as a racist symbol!
Rather than jump on every opportunity to speak to the newz media complex, just shut your yap and sell coffee.
Wait for the dust to settle before you speak. Now everyone knows BRC is ruly a corporate entity.
And New York Times will never love you just disrespect you more for groveling.
Tried their coffee last year. 🤢Gave it away after one cup
Just cancelled my subscription as I drink my last cup of BLKRFL coffees. Hope they are happy with their new “Business” plan.
Old Business Plan:
1) Build a customer base appealing to veteran appreciation (ie. Using the Vets)
2) Provide an acceptable product
3) Become successful and wealthy
4) Realize that the wealth makes you much smarter than your customers
5) Tell the media how smart you are and offer an opinion that less than half your base agrees with
6) File bankruptcy, close your doors and start drinking Folgers
Have tried their “coffee” undrinkable swill. But it works great at dissolving copper fouling and powder residue.
Black Dildo Coffee
Never apologize and never explain…it’s a sign of weakness. The Duke
I’m racist if what you mean is that I realize most violent crime is committed by blacks. If wanting my wife and children to look like me, white, then I’m racist. If believing in God’s command of kind after kind instead of miscegenation.
If believing that the White race has spread Christianity, culture and prosperity throughout the world is racist then count me as a blatant racist and to hell with Black Rifle Coffee and anyone else do brainwashed yo the truth of race.
Bye Black rifle.
When you rebrand it as a more aptly named ball-less woke spineless neutered useless fake-conservative Ben Shapiro-style bitter hate-filled Coke-like virtue-signalling beverage I may reconsider…
I’m done with BR coffee. I started supporting them last year bc I thought they represented conservative values. I sure read them wrong.
The Dixie chicks of coffee.
No more BR coffee for me. Let’s see how many customers they lose now.
Fug em.
Well I won’t be buying that anymore
I did buy their coffee and am no longer supportive starting NOW. I think it’s disgusting Evan Hafer paints Proud Boys as racist, especially given that Evan cites zero instances of said racist behavior. Talk about buying into the leftist narrative, new-speech, name-calling, progressive movement. Stop pretending Evan; you are not conservative. I’d give you advice to navigate the position you are in but you’ve proven, once again, you’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I get it. You are trying to “grow” your business. Unfortunately, trading off on the backs of what made and sustained your business only makes you a sell-out. If you only had the principles you pretended to have…you’d never have found yourself in this predicament. Sure, the wheels will keep turning at BRCC for awhile but, with you at the helm, they are going to fall off.
Giving veterans a place to call home is admirable, but you, rolling over the 1st amendment, makes your “support” for the 2nd Amendment a joke. Stolen Valor is reserved for those that pretend to be make false claims about their military service. We need a new term for those that pretend to be conservative in order to bilk money for less than honorable goods.
How about “Stolen Patriotism”?
Nope, this Green Beret won’t be buying your coffee either! De Oppresso Liber !
Never bought that shit… Thought he smelled like an ass-kissing liberal from the start. When any entrepreneaur kisses up to Veterans – I tend to call BS. Veterans don’t need handouts or anyone to teach us how to work. Its in our DNA to complete the mission. There are two types of veterans: 1) The bitchy-men that came out just as worthless as they were before they signed up (a small minority that gets all the public and media/ hollywood sympathy); and 2) The rest of us.
There are three types of Americans who never served: 1) Liberal punks who have no appreciation for anything but themselves; 2) Americans who do understand or at least appreciate the sacrifice of service and who actually demonstrate that appreciation just by thanking a veteran or being part of the charities that actually help the hurting; and 3) Those like rifle-butt coffee who need a market-niche so they can sell their swill.
Because sucking up to the NYT and apologizing for supporting a young man defending his life and another’s innocent property against a Marxist violent mob is going to win you favor with exactly who? Good job of alienating your entire customer base.
Never had your coffee but used to think good things about your company. Now . . .
Black Rifle Company are following General Milley, never buying that product again, that “kid” has more balls than the rest of you, you should be ashamed!
It’s a shame. We’re never buying their coffee again.