Fox News host Jesse Watters on Thursday slammed Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who claimed the closing of a Walgreens in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood was motivated by racism.
Walgreens closed stores, citing changes in consumer buying habits and the market. according to NBC to Boston. Mr. Watters called Ms. Presley after she blew up the drugstore chain on Tuesday. speech He said on the House floor that the reasons for the closure need to be addressed. (Related: Pharmacy chain debuts anti-theft store in crime-prone Blue City)
“When the Walgreens leave a neighborhood, the entire community is disrupted, taking with them baby formula, diapers, asthma inhalers, life-saving medications, and of course, jobs,” says Presley, a member of the group The Squad. . A number of left-wing Democratic House members said in their speeches: “These closures are not arbitrary and they are not innocent. These are life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination.”
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Mr. Watters lashed out at Mr. Pressley after broadcasting part of his speech. “Presley needs to look at the root cause here. Shoplifting, it's the same story everywhere. Walgreens is afraid to say shoplifting is the reason they are closing,” Watters said. “Walgreens is a business, not just a welfare agency handing out free toiletries. They don't owe you anything.”
“They have employees and customers to worry about,” Watters continued. “It's a business decision. If you want to keep stores open in your neighborhood, eliminate crime.”
Walgreens closed five stores in San Francisco in October 2021 due to shoplifting. walmart closed four Chicago-area stores in April 2023 due to crime, while Target announced in September it would close stores in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland due to safety concerns.
CVS stores in Washington, D.C., notorious for organized shoplifting, will be closed by the national chain on February 29 after repeated thefts. Most organized thefts occur on the day the product is received, leaving store shelves empty.
The National Retail Federation and Loss Prevention Research Council reported that stores lost more than $119 billion to retail theft in 2022.
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