Overview
- Hive Bakery posted on July 3 that the owners were "embarrassed, afraid, and disappointed" in the United States, labeled the MAGA movement "a cult," and said it would be open but refuse to observe the Fourth of July.
- The shop followed with a July 4 video in which owners read hostile comments aloud and shared photos of iced cookies decorated with an upside‑down American flag and the words "UNDER DURESS."
- The posts drew mixed reactions online, with some commenters reposted by the bakery threatening violence — for example, "Hope your place burns to the ground" — and other users offering to travel or boycott the business in response.
- National outlets picked up the story and reported that Hive Bakery had not immediately responded to requests for comment, with coverage framed differently across publications that reflect left‑right editorial perspectives.
- The episode highlights how overt political speech by a small business can quickly escalate into public safety worries, consumer boycotts and national scrutiny, and the reported threats have not been independently verified by law enforcement in the available coverage.