A screenshot of Monk and Duvel appearing on "Fox & Friends" on March 19, courtesy of Fox News.

MARCH 21 I WORLDS OF MUSIC CHICAGO | MEDIA
President Trump Supporters 'Bullied'
Out of Business?

Suzzanne Monk and Alexander Duvel, owners of Worlds of Music Chicago, were featured on "Fox & Friends Weekend" on March 19 after saying that they are being forced out of business due to the backlash and bullying they've received for being supporters of President Donald Trump.

"The first eight to 10 months of business were impressively solvent, if you will," Monk told Music Inc. — referring to the months after the store's opening in August 2015. "We were confident that we would be able to grow into something that was certainly sustainable."

Sixteen months later, the couple said that "bullying and harassment" they received — especially on social media — for supporting President Trump has forced them to close their retail store.

The store received a whirlwind of national press after Monk wrote a letter to the editor published in Crain's Chicago Business that said she and Duvel (her husband) would close Worlds of Music Chicago in April due to "the hate [Chicago] is willing to tolerate." In the letter, Monk also stated, "You see, I am a Trump supporter. My husband is a Trump supporter, too. And because we support Trump, we no longer feel proud, or safe, being in this city."

Monk and Duvel said customers and members of Chicago's music community told the couple that they could either no longer support Worlds of Music Chicago because of their personal beliefs, or because they felt too intimated or concerned with how others would react as a result of associating with Monk and Duvel.

"You hear that enough times, and you have to have the unfortunate thought of, 'I opened this business to serve this musical community, and right now I'm a liability to the community,'" Monk said.

Monk set up a GoFundMe account asking for $30,000, titled "Save Music Store from Trump Haters" about a month ago. As of press time, they have raised $17,000. The money will be used to launch an online business, "because you cannot throw a brick through a website," she said.

"So because we're going to be an online business, we're going to be a very pro-America, pro-[Trump] business. We're just going to be out," Monk said. "I think the one thing you can do to defeat people who are trying to out you, is to be out already."

worldsofmusicchicago.com