Tech bro wearing ‘offensive’ Trump t-shirt kicked out of fancy NYC gym

A gym-goer was left outraged after he was booted from his $350-a-month New York City gym for wearing an ‘offensive’ t-shirt bearing an image of Donald Trump.

The 27-year-old tech-startup founder was in the middle of his workout at an Equinox gym before he was told he needed to cover up or leave. 

His shirt featured Trump’s infamous mugshot accompanied by the words: ‘Never Surrender.’

His shirt featured Trump’s infamous mugshot accompanied by the words: ‘Never Surrender’ 

 ‘[The general manager] told me Equinox is a “safe space” and that my shirt was offensive,’ Jared told the New York Post, without providing his last name.

He filmed his interaction with the gym’s manager questioning the policy. 

The t-shirt featured former president Donald Trump’s infamous mugshot over the words ‘Never Surrender’

In the video, the manager said she gave Jared her business card and would be sending him an email with written confirmation of the situation. 

 ‘They’re kicking me out, can you believe that? They’re kicking me out because I’m wearing Trump,’ he says to another gym-goer entering the building. 

The manager, Queen Ogunyinka, then said: ‘I’m just asking him to cover it up just like anybody coming in here with a Kamala Harris shirt.’

Jared, who is Jewish, told DailyMail.com that he had previously worn shirts to the gym with pro-Israel messages without encountering any issues.

‘But only three days from the election I was kicked out for wearing the candidate on my shirt,’ he explained. 

‘American democracy is about freedom of speech and debate. Tim and time again, the left does everything in their power to silence ideas. I refuse to be bullied,’ he told the Post. 

Equinox later released a statement saying it had apologized to Jared for the manager ‘mistakenly’ telling him he couldn’t wear the shirt

The location’s manager, Queen Ogunyinka, told Jared he needed to cover up ‘just like anybody coming in here with a Kamala Harris shirt’

The UC-Berkley alum said he was no stranger to ‘leftist elitism’ and has ‘lost friends’ or been ‘looked down upon’ for speaking his mind. 

‘When they have no arguments left, they try to demonize you,’ he told the Post. 

Jared admitted he has not always supported Trump and didn’t vote for him in 2016, but now feels compelled. 

‘The antisemitism and anti-Americanism of the left drove me to support him today,’ he said. ‘As a Jew, I must stand with the pro-Israel candidate Donald Trump.’

A Equinox spokesperson told the Post that Jared’s shirt did not go against the gym’s policies.

‘An Equinox associate mistakenly asked a member to cover up an article of clothing. The shirt did not violate our dress code, and we have apologized to the member directly,’ the spokesperson said. 

Jared confirmed he had been contacted and issued an apology, but said he will likely be looking for a new gym.  

Jared, who is Jewish, said he didn’t always support Trump but felt compelled to now due to the former president’s ‘pro-Israel’ stance

He received plenty of support online as his video circulated widely.

‘Nothing like standing up for what you believe in, even if it means taking a stand at the gym,’ one commenter wrote.

Another added: ‘Politics shouldn’t dictate your attire, but here we are, with Equinox playing fashion police.’ 

The gym has already been in hot water over political alignment after the chairman and founder of Related Companies, the parent company of Equinox and SoulCycle, threw an expensive fundraiser for Trump. 

Stephen Ross threw the fundraiser in 2019, charging $100,000 for a photo with the former president and $250,000 for a seat with a private roundtable conversation. The lowest price of entry was $5,600. 

Stephen Ross came under fire in 2019 for an expensive fundraiser for Trump. Ross is the chairman and founder of Related Companies, the parent company of Equinox and SoulCycle

The fundraiser sparked outrage, particularly among Equinox members, and a Change.org campaign was launched. 

The campaign said: ‘We joined this gym because we believed it shared our values. We believed it was a safe space for people like us. We believed that we were supporting a company that was inclusive, accepting and celebrating our diversity and supporting our physical and mental health as a community.’ 

The petition, created by activist and actor Wilson Cruz, hoped to put an end to the fundraiser and garnered more than 14,000 signatures. 

Ross said he has always been an ‘active participant in the democratic process,’ the Post reported.

‘I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others, and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions,’ he added. 

Jared said that ‘antisemitism and anti-Americanism of the left drove me to support [Donald Trump]’

Both Equinox and SoulCycle also released a statement saying they did not support the event.

‘We are committed to all our members and communities we live in. We believe in tolerance and equality and will always stay true to those values,’ the statement read. 

According to Equinox’s member policy, the gym ‘may deny you use of its Clubs if you do not wear proper attire and footwear, as determined in Equinox’s discretion.’   

The policies, according to the company, are in place to create a ‘welcoming, inclusive community.’