Trump donor. Nashville restaurateur has been forced to shut down his own kitchen because of Trump's immigration crackdown. Steve Smith is his name, a conservative businessman who owns several high volume restaurants along Broadway in Nashville. [00:00:16] Close the kitchens of three properties over the weekend, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ice activity ramped up in the area. Tell you more about what's going on there. The closures impacted the diner Honky Tonk Central, and there's [00:00:33] Kid Rock's big ass honky tonk place, according to workers kitchen staff, many of them undocumented, were told to go home mid-shift Saturday night amid fears of arrests. One employee told the Nashville scene this around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status [00:00:52] to go home, but there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food. Ice raids began May 3rd already led to nearly 200 arrests. More than half of those arrested reportedly had no criminal record. So this is a Trump donor losing business to Trump's aggressive policy here. [00:01:12] What does it tell you when the very people who fund these crackdowns become, well, casualties of them? Yeah, I'm amazed by them because this brother voted for Trump knowing that he's got undocumented immigrants in the kitchen. [00:01:31] Did he think that Trump was going to go, okay, guys, let's go. You know, round up all the immigrants like you guys wanted and the undocumented immigrants and then send them back. But there's a restaurant in Nashville. That guy voted for me. So let's leave his cooks alone. [00:01:47] Is that what went through his mind? I don't I don't get it. And look, I, I beat up on the powerful. So when Biden did things wrong, I criticized him. I think almost everybody knows that, right? When Trump's in charge, I criticize the hell out of him [00:02:04] on the things he deserves to get criticized on and including this policy. But. And so I don't beat up on the voters, whether Democratic or Republican voters. So people get fed the wrong information all the time. So I, I'm sure that tons of Trump voters didn't realize he was going to go after [00:02:23] undocumented immigrants. I know you're thinking how how could they not realize that, right? They in their mind, they thought, close the border. And some of their guys, not all of them, not all of them, but the ones closer to the center, right. So some of them probably thought, hey, he's just going to close the border. Some of them thought, hey, you know what? [00:02:41] He'll kick out the criminal undocumented immigrants, but he'll leave the others alone. I don't know why they thought that, because he was pretty clear, on this one, on many other things, like all the different constitutional violations and project 2025. He was not clear. He lied. He said, oh, I'm a project 2025. I don't know what that is. [00:02:58] And then he takes the author, puts him in his administration and starts doing project 2025 word for word. He lied about that, but he didn't lie about this. So that's why this guy who seems to be an avid Trump supporter, I have to assume he knew that he would go after undocumented immigrants. [00:03:13] He's hiring undocumented immigrants, And then he gets verklempt when he's like, oh. Turns out they're going after my, workers. Sharon, I just don't have an explanation for that. I just find that amazing. [00:03:29] It's not like he's saying, I want you to go after all of these, you know, these people who've committed no real, crimes. Some of them not at all. Violent crimes to boot. It's not like he said. All of my people have a legal status. [00:03:44] He knew, like you said. So this is diabolical. I don't understand unless you go back to this reasoning that a lot of people believe about a certain segment of the population who is privileged. Hey, what's good for me is, good for me. You fend for yourself out there. So perhaps he thought that. [00:04:02] Oh, I'm friends with the guy. I'm a donor. Don't worry. It's all good here. I just think it's ridiculous. And look, I feel terrible for those folks who are affected. I do not feel terrible for him at all. And. And again, there's difference between voters and donors. Voters are doing the best they can. They got other jobs. [00:04:19] They can't keep track of all the politics I wish they would. I would love it if they would, but they can't, right? But you're a donor. You're a big time supporter. You gave money to Trump. I'm definitely not going to cry for you. So this is what you asked for. So now you got it. [00:04:36] Yeah. Enjoy. And the crisis? Yeah. Enjoy. The crisis didn't just impact Saturday night. Sources say workers stayed home through Sunday fearing arrest, even when major events nearby were letting out huge crowds, overwhelming remaining staff. Steve Smith has vocally opposed public health mandates [00:04:54] and backed Trump aligned candidates, and now he's facing the reality of, well, what happens when immigration policy turns into business disruption? Critics say the story highlights the deeper contradiction in the Trump movement political support for hardline immigration [00:05:09] enforcement that directly undercuts the industries that many of Trump supporters rely on to make money whether it's hotels, agriculture, construction, you name it, undocumented laborers everywhere. And when the raids ramp up, operations shut down. [00:05:25] So we'll see more of this. Or will these big donors be able to pick up the phone? You know, like Walmart and these people do and have some kind of hotline to Trump and say, you know, leave us off the list. I mean, maybe Trump is infinitely corruptible. [00:05:41] So, but now he's out in the public, so it's going to get a little bit more awkward. But overall, mainly the Trump administration doesn't have time to chase after all of you guys. And remember, Trump stiffs all of his investors. So you donated to him. Hey, that was yesterday, brother. [00:05:57] Now, I don't know you at all. So. And and likely, hopefully, Trump's not running again so he doesn't need you. So this brother's in some trouble in terms of his restaurants. All right. Last thing on this, Sharon is okay. We we point out the amazing fact that he didn't think that it would affect him. [00:06:15] But also think about the hypocrisy when he's in the voting booth. He's going in there like, oh, yeah, he wrote a check to Donald Trump, go get those undocumented immigrants, sons of bitches. Hey, how are you guys doing? Undocumented immigrants. I want to hire you. I'm. He's been hiring them, apparently, for a long, long time. [00:06:32] That's my guess based on the story. So I just I can't I know some people think hypocrisy is no big deal, and I guess he wanted all the other undocumented immigrants taken away. And he probably doesn't care about his own workers. [00:06:48] But he thought, you know, I mean, obviously I'll keep them for business purposes and use them for chattel or whatever, right? Don't tell me you cared about your workers if you voted for Trump. And your workers are undocumented, and you know that Trump might, send them away and ruin their lives. [00:07:04] You obviously didn't care about your workers, but just that overwhelming hypocrisy. I just can't understand it. I can't understand it. How could you hire undocumented immigrants and not only vote for Trump, but give [00:07:20] him money to win so that he could stop you from hiring undocumented immigrants? - I don't get it. - They won. I know, stupid and cruel. It just seems stupid and cruel. 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