A trip to the framing counter turned into a national firestorm after an Ohio woman says her local Michaels refused to frame a portrait of President Donald Trump, a painting of presidents in prayer, and an original moon landing newspaper.
Tore Maras, a conservative podcaster and influencer who goes by “Chaos Coordinator” online, recorded the exchange on October 25 at the Michaels store in Mayfield Heights, a Cleveland suburb. The video has since spread across social media and has been covered by outlets including the Daily Mail and Cleveland.com.
What she brought in
Maras said she walked in with three items she wanted custom-framed for her home: a portrait of President Trump seated in Winston Churchill’s chair, a 1969 newspaper from the day of the moon landing, and a watercolor by artist Jon McNaughton showing past presidents in prayer.
According to Maras, one employee looked at the pieces and walked away. A second employee then told her on camera, “We’re not allowed to do political pieces.”
“It’s not political; this is for my house,” Maras answered.
“So this lady decided she didn’t want to service me because she didn’t like the pictures I brought for framing?” she asked. “Is this Michaels’ policy? Because I’m going to write to them and talk to them about that.”
“Sensitive” and “inappropriate”
Maras says she then called Michaels customer care, and that the agent told her the company has a policy against framing “sensitive items or things that are inappropriate.” She says her Trump portrait, the prayer painting and the moon landing newspaper were all lumped into that category.
“The President. Prayer. The moon landing,” she wrote online. “Is that corporate policy, or just one employee’s politics?”
Maras says she has filed a complaint with the Ohio attorney general’s office, calling what happened a deceptive practice and discrimination over a religious item.
Michaels responds
As the video took off, Michaels posted a public reply. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Michaels does not have a policy prohibiting the framing of political items, and we strive to welcome every customer,” the company wrote. “We’ve reached out directly to discuss your experience and ensure your project needs are met.”
The company also told the Daily Mail it had “followed up with the customer to make this right and ensure her project needs are met.”
That statement raises an obvious question for many viewers: if there is no such policy, why did a store employee say there was, on camera, and why did customer care reportedly back it up?
Not the first time
This isn’t the first time Michaels has faced this kind of accusation. In 2024, a customer claimed an employee at a Michaels store refused to frame the now-iconic photo of Donald Trump raising his fist after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, saying it made the worker “uncomfortable,” according to a report at the time by Seattle Red.
Online, reaction to Maras’s video has been fierce, with many commenters calling for the employee to face consequences and some urging a boycott of the chain. Others have defended the company, saying it was one worker’s decision rather than a corporate rule.
Either way, the episode has struck a nerve with millions of Americans who are tired of being told their president, their faith, and even a piece of American history are too “sensitive” to hang on their own walls.