Horror in the Hamptons - outrage over fundraiser produces SoulCycle boycott

File this under you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up. Or, can you? If you read a tweet posted by far-left activist and moviemaker Michael Moore huffing and puffing about canceling his SoulCycle membership over a Trump fundraiser would you believe it?

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The thought of Michael Moore probably doesn’t conjure up an image of a buff older man anyway. But, unhinged wealthy celebrities suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome tweet all kinds of nonsense so this is just standard procedure. An upcoming fundraiser in the Hamptons has the rich and famous all riled up because it is for President Trump’s re-election campaign, not one of the Democrats running against him. Oh, the horror.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is hosting one of two fundraisers Friday in the Hamptons. The real crisis comes because of the fact that Ross is chairman and majority owner of Related Companies, the parent company of Equinox and SoulCycle. President Trump is expected to attend but that hasn’t been confirmed due to security concerns.

Several senior members of the administration, party and campaign are also scheduled to appear, as are some Trump family members, according to the invites.

The Friday luncheon in Southampton is scheduled to take place at the home of New York real estate developer Stephen Ross and his wife, jewelry designer Kara Ross. Tickets are priced at $100,000 for a photo opportunity and lunch, and $250,000 for the package that includes the roundtable discussion, the invite shows.

A reception is scheduled to follow the lunch at the 17,000-square-foot Bridgehampton estate of Joe Farrell, a real estate developer in New York. Tickets are priced at $5,600 per couple for the general reception, $11,200 per couple for the VIP reception and $35,000 per couple for a photo opportunity.

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Word of the fundraiser was distributed through a newsletter called “betches sup”. Let’s just say the writer isn’t a Trump fan.

I regret to inform you that the massive amounts of money you spend thinking it would go toward improving your health…is also going to Trump. Stephen Ross, owner of Equinox, SoulCycle, PURE Yoga, and Blink Fitness, is hosting a massive fundraiser in Southampton this weekend for Donald Trump. This is the best reason I’ve ever heard for finally canceling that expensive gym membership. See you all at FlyWheel!

Though a piece at our sister publication, Town Hall, notes that there are no memberships to SoulCycle classes, celebrities jumped right into the fray to promote canceling memberships. Thus, the tweet from Michael Moore.

And, for good measure, there’s the inevitable Nazi reference:

A Dolphins player got a jab in, too:

The gay and transgender community are hardest hit, apparently. The ironic part is that Trump supported the gay community in his pre-presidential days and when he accepted the GOP nomination his speech specifically included his support of the gay population. Now gay and transgender activists claim the Trump administration treats them as “subhuman”.

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Both Soul Cycle and Equinox, however, have developed a customer base filled with the kind of young urban professionals who are not usually counted among Trump’s base.

Equinox, for instance, has recently been lauded for its support of causes such as the “Life’s a Ball” pride campaign, which in June honored the transgender community.

Activist and actor Wilson Cruz launched a Change.org campaign and wrote, “We joined this gym because we believed it shared our values. We believed it was a safe space for people like us.”

He added: “There is no way that we as a community can continue to support this business if you are actively supporting an administration that puts us in danger and works towards treating us like second class citizens, and worse yet, subhuman.”

Mr. Ross is pushing back and standing up for himself. He’s an old friend of Trump’s and somewhat distances himself from Trump yet continues to support him. It isn’t surprising that one businessman supports another.

“I have always been an active participant in the democratic process,” Ross said in a statement, according to Bloomberg. “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.”

Ross added that he wanted to help support Trump’s reelection campaign because he likes to “engage directly and support the things I deeply care about.”

It didn’t take long for SoulCycle and Equinox to throw Ross under the bus.

The brands has since released a statement to the press and to their membership base saying “Neither Equinox nor SoulCycle [which is also under the umbrella company] have anything to do with the event later this week and do not support it. As is consistent with our policies, no company profits are used to fund politicians. We are committed to all our members and the communities we live in. We believe in tolerance and equality, and will always stay true to those values.”

“Mr. Ross is a passive investor and is not involved in the management of either business,” the statement also said.

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That’s how things are in Trump’s America. The woke left is way more intolerant than the alleged intolerance of Trump supporters. Punishment is meted out quickly to anyone or any business that supports Trump’s presidency. Has anyone told Michelle yet? Both she and Chelsea Clinton are reported to be SoulCycle enthusiasts.

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