Throughout the presidential campaign, Schultz made it no secret that he supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, formally endorsing her in September. In a letter to Starbucks staff after Election Day, Schultz admitted he was “stunned” when Trump won — and called on Starbucks “partners” to choose to treat others with kindness, compassion and respect.

AD

AD

“We cannot know what the precise impact will be on our country and the rest of the world,” Schultz wrote then. “I am hopeful that we will overcome the vitriol and division of this unprecedented election season.”

Since the bitter and divisive election came to an end last month, there have been numerous incidents reported at various Starbucks stores involving Trump supporters.

Recently, video of Florida resident David Sanguesa berating a Starbucks barista went viral. Sanguesa claimed afterward that he had been the victim of “anti-white discrimination” and that the employee refused to serve him because he was a Trump supporter. (“Because I voted for Trump! Trump! You lost! Now give me my money back,” Sanguesa can be heard shouting at the barista in the video. “What is your name? I want your name. I want your card. You’re garbage. You’re complete trash.”)

A witness said Sanguesa simply got angry because his coffee order took too long.

AD

AD

Around the same time, video surfaced of a Starbucks barista at a different location refusing to write “Trump” on someone’s cup. Soon afterward, Los Angeles political consultant Tim Treadstone urged his social-media followers to launch “Operation #TrumpCup” — that is, to visit Starbucks, ask them to write “Trump” on their cups and to take video if any employees refused.

On CNBC, Schultz directly addressed questions of whether such incidents might indicate Starbucks and its corporate values meant the chain was “at odds” with Trump and his supporters.

“I don’t think on any level that the brand or what we represent is at odds with the president-elect or his supporters,” Schultz told CNBC. “Ninety million customers a week are going through Starbucks stores, and I assume many of them voted for Donald Trump.”

AD

AD

He added that the business needed to separate its prospects “from the Trump administration and the momentum in the stock market” but would also continue to push on “a number of social issues.”

Schultz did not elaborate on what those issues might be, only saying that they have not been addressed by Republican administrations in the past and that he hoped Trump would address them in his administration.

“I think that as we go forward we will have an active voice in demonstrating the moral courage to address things that we think are important to the promise of America and the American Dream,” Schultz said.

His comments were in line with Schultz’s long record of getting involved in social or political issues, sometimes at the risk of alienating customers.

AD

Last year, Starbucks urged baristas to write “Race Together” on the sides of its coffee cups, in an effort to engage customers in difficult conversations about race relations in America. The campaign sparked criticism and even ridicule online but had seemingly little effect at the store level. And each year, whether intentionally or not, Starbucks finds itself in the middle of a heated debate over what, exactly, the color of its holiday coffee cup is supposed to mean.

AD

Starbucks’ plain-red holiday cup last year attracted the ire of none other than Trump himself, who suggested to his supporters at a rally last November to boycott the coffee chain.

“Did you read about Starbucks?” Trump asked the crowd in Springfield, Ill., to loud boos. “No more ‘Merry Christmas’ at Starbucks. No more. … Maybe we should boycott Starbucks.”

AD

Starbucks is no stranger to such cultural debates, as The Washington Post’s Maura Judkis noted:

The culture wars come every December, fueled by peppermint mochas and venti soy lattes. The battleground is Starbucks. It’s always Starbucks, isn’t it? No one is complaining that the blue-and-brown holiday cups at Caribou Coffee take the “Christ” out of Christmas. No one is telling the Olive Garden hostess that their name is “Trump” so that she will have to call out “Trump, party of three!” Religion. Politics. The Bill of Rights. They all converge here, in front of a glass case full of cake pops.

Schultz will step aside as CEO next April to focus on other Starbucks corporate initiatives, the company announced last Thursday. Kevin Johnson, the company’s chief operating officer, will take over as CEO then. Schultz plans to stay on as chairman.