Is it hard being a Trump supporter? Do Trump supporters worry about harassment or discrimination when entering spaces that may be bipartisan or—gasp—liberal? Apparently, enough Trump supporters are seeking safe spaces that a new app, 63red Safe, has launched. The goal? To help pro-Trump conservatives find “safe” spaces, including restaurants and other businesses, where they won’t have to worry about being maligned for supporting Trump. Sigh.
The app, which you can find in the Apple store, has the following description: "Find great restaurants nearby, and see how expensive, how far away, and best of all, whether they are safe for conservatives!"
Basically: Yelp, but for people who wear MAGA hats. Users can rate businesses based on whether or not the owners “make political social media posts.” Oh, and whether or not customers can carry weapons on the premises.
The app also asks users questions such as, "Does this business serve persons of every political belief?" and "Will this business protect its customers if they are attacked for political reasons?" Any guesses as to whether or not the app has a question about gender-neutral bathrooms? Owned by an immigrant? What about a woman of color?
Hmm ...
Scott Wallace, the creator of the app, appeared on Fox & Friends on Monday to discuss his intentions with the app. “We wanted to make sure that people could let others know what restaurants may have a political bent,” he said. “We’re not looking to try and find restaurants that are ‘conservative’ or ‘pro-Trump.’”
Anyone remember when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was told to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia? Her tweet about the incident touches on the same head-scratching logic that supports a Trump-friendly safe space: How can you talk about respect when your platform is based on hate?
The Red Hen is now labeled “unsafe” on the app, the Daily Beast reports. In an interview, Wallace alleged that he believes Trump supporters are likely to be targeted by “socialist goon squads.” “I think Antifa was nothing compared between now and what’s coming in 2020,” he explained. “And I’m deeply concerned.”
“We want businesses to understand that there’s no money in politics,” Wallace continued. “We want to make sure everyone’s safe out there.” Again: Who exactly does he mean when he talks about “everyone”?
There’s a lot to unpack here. Conservatives are notorious for mocking “safe spaces,” making this ironic to begin with. Unfortunately, it’s a safe bet that “everyone” doesn’t actually apply to everyone. While trans people are legitimately worried about being able to safely use the bathroom, and same-sex couples are in fear of being attacked, and people of color fear having the cops called on them for simply existing … Trump supporters are worried about “socialist goon squads.”
Since Trump’s presidency started, rates of hate crimes based on sexual orientation, race, and religion have gone up. Imagine the cognitive dissonance it takes to support a demigod who preaches hate speech, only to want a safe space to wear a red MAGA hat of your own.
Wallace says, "This is not yet another social network," referring to the enormous failure of Donald Date, a dating app for Trump supporters. Almost immediately after its launch, the app suffered from a huge data leak. If this were satire, it would feel too on the nose.