Trump busted for ‘Happy Holidays’ greetings after he urges Starbucks boycott over Christmas cups

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed to end the lease of a successful Starbucks store in his New York City hotel, Trump Towers, because the company's paper coffee cups are not quite festive enough for right-wing Christians.

The popular global coffee chain this year rolled out bright red cups with a green Starbucks logo, reflecting the traditional color scheme of the winter holiday season. The lack of Christmas-themed imagery prompted conservatives to get angry over the non-issue of the Starbucks coffee cup design.

"If I become president, we're all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again, that I can tell you,” the real estate mogul railed on Monday. The sentiment is a new one, apparently.

The furor over the cups originated with evangelical Joshua Feuerstein, who ranted in an online video about the plain red design while apparently amped up on caffeine. Standing outside a Starbucks store holding his red cup, Feurstein very forcefully described telling the barista his name was "Merry Christmas" so the phrase would be written on his cup, and urged other "great Americans" to do the same. He also pointed out he was wearing his Jesus shirt and armed with a gun while doing so.

Trump the maneuvering politician may have to contend with Trump the savvy businessman, however. As Right Wing Watch points out, Trump's hotels have to accommodate potential clients who don't celebrate Christmas, just as the Starbucks corporation does.

"Hey look, I'm speaking against myself," Trump told the audience. "I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Towers. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks, I don't know. Seriously. I don't care. By the way, that's the end of that lease, but who cares. Who cares? Who cares?"

Good question.

As Right Wing Watch pointed out, a holiday ad from last year also declared a War on Christmas by wishing "Happy Holidays, from the Trump Hotel Collection." Time will tell if Trump takes action against his own business by booting out a popular coffee chain or foisting the Christian holiday on every guest that stays at his hotels.

Watch Trump's comments, via Right Wing Watch, here: