Rouses Co-Owner Apologizes: 'Poor Judgement' In Attending Rally

Rouses co-owner Donald Rouse spoke with WBOK 1230 about the recent controversy surrounding his attendance at a 'Stop The Steal' rally for former President Donald Trump.

If you missed the original story, you can see a recap here, but the gist is that a lot of folks were upset with Rouses Grocery stores once it was realized that Rouse Sr. attended a rally for President Trump that turned violent once a large group of attendees formed a mob and broke into the U.S. Capitol.

A photo of Rouse Sr. at the rally went viral as some called for a boycott of the popular regional grocery store. He issued a statement in the wake of the original backlash but this morning he sat with WBOK and went into detail about the events that unfolded that day as well as everything that followed.

In the interview Rouse apologized for attending the rally, revealing that his son (current Rouses CEO) advised him not to go. He also admitted that he wasn't getting enough "balance in his news consumption."

Another interesting revelation is that Rouse Sr. said he felt he should have apologized earlier but didn't at the advice of consultants who told him not to.

Rouse Sr. went on to say that he doesn't actually believe the election was stolen and that he left the "Stop The Steal" rally (where he says he was made fun of for wearing a mask) before Trump was even finished with his speech to take a nap at his hotel. When he woke up, he realized what was happening at the Capitol building.

I didn't go over there in support of Trump. I went over there to hear him speak. I went over there ... for history in the making, I guess I would say.

Regardless of whether people choose to judge him negatively or support him for his actions, Rouse Sr. maintains that people should lay their entire judgment on him, not the Rouses team members.

Read the full story here via NOLA.com