There’s no shortage of ways to send messages these days. The mediums are endless, bound together by infinite technologies and platforms. But sometimes the simplest forms make the strongest impact. And that’s exactly what William “Mac” McCormick, owner of McCormack’s Irish Pub, McCormack’s Big Whisky Grill, and McCormack’s Whisky Grill did last week, sending a message on a familiar medium. Nothing fancy, just a simple black shirt.
But that message has now sparked a viral debate that cuts to the core of American life in 2025.
“I was just making t-shirts that align with most of my customers, with the pubs beliefs,” said McCormack, when I caught up with him at the Big Whisky on Saturday to talk about the controversy surrounding the shirt.
The conversation, which started on Facebook and quickly spilled into Google and Yelp reviews, has spread nationally with a predictable mix of support and outrage from commenters in California, New Jersey, North Carolina, and elsewhere. A debate McCormack has welcomed, “I’m protesting our government,” he told me. “It’s literally the very definition of the First Amendment.”
For those not familiar with McCormack, his Irish Pub is something of an institution in Shockoe Bottom. It’s one of the city’s last original dive bars with a deep punk history stretching back to the 1990s. But over the years, he’s successfully branched out as a restaurateur, with his two whisky bars earning recognition both nationally and internationally.
“I’ve never hidden my politics there,” said McCormack, referring to his Irish pub. “It’s bigger than just the bar, it’s what you believe. And it’s what I believe one hundred percent.”
I wanted to talk with McCormack for two reasons: to understand what drives someone to broadcast such a bold message in a moment when so many institutions are capitulating or self-censoring, from media and universities to Congress and law firms, and to explore what role local businesses can play in upholding the city’s values at such a complex time.
During our conversation, McCormack drew multiple parallels, linking history, authoritarianism, and technology into a worldview that recognizes the dangers of staying quiet at a moment like this. His point was clear enough. “One of the biggest regrets people in Germany had is that they held their mouth,” he said. “I don’t think we should be silent.”
Even after the post about the shirt went viral, McCormack stayed actively engaged in the comment section, refusing to back down, responding with a mixture of irony and humor. But he insisted that the motivation goes deeper than just reverse trolling detractors, “I think we should have principles as business owners and stand up for what’s right,” he said.
The actual shirt, he explained, isn’t really new. “It used to just say Fuck Nazis. We just clarified who the Nazis were.”
This perspective has obviously fueled the reactions online, something McCormack has been watching closely, but it also speaks to the current social media environment and strange geography of virality. “I’ve noticed that a lot of people in the comments aren’t from Richmond. Most of them, I think, aren’t from here at all.” The same seems true of the one-star reviews on Google and Yelp, another signal of how nationalized the culture wars have become, where local stories get weaponized by commenters, bots, and trolls far outside their own communities.
But with virality also comes risk; risks which are very real. Not just to his businesses’ bottom line, but to his own visibility at a time of increasing political violence, something I asked him about. While acknowledging that reality, he said his greater concern was for his employees, not himself. “Everyone who works for me is like-minded. They’re all my friends. I don’t have any new employees. They’re long term. They know who I am, and they feel the same way I do.”
Asking about the potential impact, I read him a Facebook comment from someone claiming to be a former law-enforcement officer who wrote, “I know me personally will not go in there again along with other LE (law-enforcement).” Before I could finish, McCormick responded coolly.
“Well, I have a problem with jackbooted thugs who aren’t actually following the Constitution,” he said, referring to ICE, adding that our rights as both citizens and non-citizens aren’t negotiable. “Would it be better for my business or worse? I don’t know. I think holding back your opinion is worse.”
Later, when the conversation turned back to business, he was blunt. “If someone doesn’t want to spend their money in a restaurant because of a t-shirt, it just shows how small they are.”
This contrast ultimately cuts to the core of what I was trying to understand. How a local business can dissent by living its values, while still remaining viable in a political environment that is resulting in self-censorship.
One online supporter summed up this sentiment:
As 2025 comes to a close, there are businesses, publications, and institutions who are staying authentic to their values.
In McCormack’s case, “What’s really happened is a lot of new customers came here [to the Big Whisky] who agree with the pub’s sentiment that we’ve never served before,” he said. “I think all three locations have been busier than normal.”
Time will tell if the added attention helps business, but for McCormack, that’s beside the point. What matters, he said, are the people who sparked this controversy. “I think ten years from now, they’ll be embarrassed for supporting President Trump,” going on to say, “history will reflect badly on the people who fell for the ruse, because it is a ruse.”
As we wrapped the interview, I asked what advice he had for other businesses that might be hesitant to speak out, and whether he thought he provided the right template. “Don’t be scared to have an opinion. You don’t have to do it like I did,” he told me. “You can be more subtle, but if we don’t speak up then we’re just the same as those people in Germany who still live with three generations of regret.”
Editor’s Note: Shirts have sold out at McCormack’s Irish Pub, but are currently being restocked. They’re available for purchase at the pub for $11, sold at cost.
Photos by Landon Shroder
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