A small business owner who voted for Donald Trump recently posted a video on TikTok, pleading for help as crushing tariffs on China threatened to bankrupt his operation, which imports alloy wheels. His call for support, however, drew little sympathy from some fellow Americans.
“Votes have consequences,” he was told, with many comments from Twitter/X users relishing the notion that another MAGA voter was suffering because of their political choice. The backlash prompted a second video from the man, in which he dropped several F-bombs while criticizing the apparent heartlessness of those celebrating his hardship.
Follow up pic.twitter.com/D2oHAmKddw
— Boston Smalls (@smalls2672) April 12, 2025
“‘I love this for you. I love to see you fail. I love to see your family be affected and hurt because you voted for Trump.’ Yeah, I voted for Trump, absolutely,” he said. “Did I know he was going to increase the tariffs? Yes, I did. However, I thought that the infrastructure would be set up prior for small business to come back to America and manufacture in America.
“So to wish ill on someone and to love the fact that they’re suffering, to love the fact that their family is being negatively affected because I didn’t vote the same way that you did is [messed] up. It really is. It shouldn’t matter.
“Anyone that enters my life, I’m going to judge you of who you are, how you are as a human being. Are you kind? Are you polite, Are you sincere? That’s how I judge you, not who you voted for. I’ve got far left leaning friends. I got far right leaning friends. It doesn’t matter to me. I like you based on who you are.
“But to see someone hurt and their business fail and their family be affected because they didn’t vote the way you did, it’s [messed] up. I’m sorry. A lot of you are [messed] up. I’m sorry. We should all care about each other regardless of who we voted for. I’m sorry. I hope you guys can be better people.”
After the follow-up video, the man was mocked for several reasons: a) perceived economic ignorance; b) hypocrisy in claiming to judge people by decency while voting for Trump, who many consider one of the least decent men to hold office; and c) voting for a candidate who made no secret of targeting marginalized groups, while assuming personal safety as a white voter.
Some commentators also questioned whether he was running a drop-ship business, which often relies on cheap foreign labor under poor conditions to import goods and then mark up prices.
Here are some of the scorching reactions from Twitter: “The only reason he feels this way is because he was affected. If he cared about his neighbors, he wouldn’t vote for a man who used racist and divisive rhetorics against people of color. You’ll be fine like the others.”
“He seems like a good guy. I don’t [think] most people are wishing bad things on him—they’re just enjoying watching him reap exactly what he sowed.” “So he’s got higher standards for people he meets on the daily than for the highest position in the United States?”
“And another thing that’s absolutely bonkers is that Kamala [Harris] wanted to give small businesses of $50,000 tax cut, so he voted for additional taxes versus getting a tax cut.”
“This guy doesn’t understand how voting works. It’s not a vote for most popular song. It’s a vote for how the country is run and what happens to people. And if you vote for someone that’s cruel, corrupt and incompetent, that does reflect poorly on who you are.”
“I’m sure he cares about marginalized LGBTQ folks. I’m sure he cares about the innocent human beings Trump is disappearing into a hell jail.”
“You say you judge a person on if they are kind, polite, and sincere then voting for the very person who is none of those things is hypocrisy at its finest! How you thought things would be set up when he literally still hasn’t given us his Healthcare plan from eight years ago is laughable.”
