‘Horrified’ Rouses grocery co-owner apologizes for attending deadly Capitol riot in DC
The co-owner of Rouses Markets released a statement saying he was “horrified” by Wednesday’s insurrection in Washington after a picture of him there was widely shared on social media, where people were calling for a boycott of the popular chain.
An image of Donald Rouse Sr., now retired, and former Rouses human resources director Steve Galtier flooded social media after Galtier posted a public image from the rally on Facebook of the crowd, saying, “Millions in DC today with us — more to follow.”
What followed was another image, in comments under the post, that caught the attention of Louisiana blogger Lamar White Jr. It showed Rouse and Galtier with the pro-Trump crowd behind them.
On Twitter early Thursday, White tweeted the image and wrote that Galtier claimed to be in Washington with “millions” of “patriots.” It had been retweeted by 6,000 Twitter users by Thursday afternoon and had almost 700 replies.
People were sharing the photo and information on Facebook, too. Some were calling for a boycott of Rouses.
The Thibodaux-based regional grocery chain has 60 locations, including three on the Mississippi Gulf Coast — one on Pass Road in Gulfport, one near Interstate 10 in Diamondhead and one off U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs.
Some social media users suggested switching their allegiance to Breaux Mart in Louisiana. But that was before owner Barry Breaux reportedly shared posts on his private Facebook page about people in the Washington crowd being agents of antifa, an umbrella description of far-left militant groups, Big Easy Magazine reported.
Breaux Mart issued a statement about the controversy, saying one person’s opinion doesn’t “collectively reflect” the views of management and employees.
“Think of the spirit of community, peace and love you’ve experienced when shopping in our stores, chatting with our employees, and interacting with us on social media,” the statement said.
Donald Rouse Sr. apologizes
Rouse’s apology came later and was reported by multiple Louisiana media outlets:
“I attended the rally yesterday as a supporter of the president and to be in our nation’s capital at the close of his presidency. I left before the violence began and was shocked and saddened to see it unfold on TV. I condemn the actions of those who unlawfully entered and damaged our hallowed institutions and threatened our public servants. Violence and destruction do not represent our country’s values, or the values of Rouses.
“Though I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of Rouses, that’s my family’s name on the building and my actions reflect on my family, Rouses and this community I love so dearly. I’m horrified by the violence and destruction we saw yesterday and the pain it has caused so many. Our country desperately needs to come together to heal, and I will do everything I can to be a part of that process.”
White surfaces Cindy Hyde-Smith video
In November 2018, White scored a major political scoop when he acquired video of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith at a Tupelo campaign event during her successful Republican run against Democrat Mike Espy.
Referring to a rancher she has known for years, Hyde-Smith said in the video, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”
Media nationwide reported on her remarks in the video, which are still mentioned in stories about Mississippi politics.
White told the Sun Herald about his latest viral find under Galtier’s post: “The original (Facebook) post — when I saw it — had 106 comments and the photo was actually a comment responding to someone asking whether they wore masks.”
