BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – When Trump Store Manager Cynthia Hollingsworth opened her mail on 23rd Street in Panama City on Monday, October 20, she got a horrified reaction.
“It said Trump Store,” Hollingsworth said. “So I flipped it open. I didn’t read the whole thing, just out of habit. And when I put the envelope on the counter, I realized it didn’t have a return address on it, but I already had the letter in my hand.”
As soon as she opened the envelope, her fingers started to itch and burn.
“I’ve experienced poison oak or something similar, how it spreads and burns as it goes. It went from my face, down my neck, all the way to my elbow,” Hollingsworth continued.
Hollingsworth said she wasn’t scheduled to work that day, but stayed home to wait for the delivery. That’s when she found a letter postmarked from Arizona with no return address.
“I’m angry that I even opened the letter,” Hollingsworth said.
Panama City Police Department, Bay County Sheriff’s Deputies and Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials teams swarmed the store.
Hollingswar was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said her symptoms were similar to mild fentanyl exposure. However, no trace of hazardous substances was detected during the hazardous materials inspection.
Hollingsworth now faces another problem: hospital bills.
“She’s definitely going to be responsible for all the hospital visits and other medical expenses from day one. And we don’t really know, you know, like I said, she’s just the manager of the Trump store. She’s not the owner. She’s not, you know, she’s just a good person who’s always doing good things for other people and she doesn’t deserve something like this,” said Dawn Maestas, Cynthia’s best friend.
The message in the letter was insulting and insensitive to President Trump and the late Charlie Kirk. Now it’s in the hands of U.S. postal inspectors.
“I’m not quitting, we’re not quitting as Trump fans, and the people who come here, my customers, all of them, I love them all to death and basically love them like family now, because they’re not going to win. They’re not going to get rid of us. We’ve done nothing wrong,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth said nearly 15 other Trump stores and retailers received similar envelopes in the mail but did not open them after hearing her story.
