Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Is Locked up in Stores, and Many Think It's Political

Throughout its nearly 50-year history, Ben & Jerry's has been known for its willingness to speak out about a variety of social issues. The company is one of the most outspokenly libreral in the nation, and that has remained true even with the hostility it's facing under the second Trump administration.

Starting after Trump took office, though, some noticed that the company's ice cream appeared to be locked up at some supermarkets, and began to wonder why that might be. Here's what we know.

Several TikTok users have shared clips of their attempts to get Ben & Jerry's ice cream at locations across the country, only to find that the ice cream is currently under lock and key.

While items like these are usually locked up to prevent shoplifting (like razors in a drug store), there are many who think that the reason Ben & Jerry's is currently locked up has more to do with the company's politics.

On their TikTok page, the company has made it clear that they allowed employees to take part in the People's March that was held on Jan. 18 and are also responding to people who have suggested that this political turn is something new for the company.

"We’ve spent 46 years fighting for a more just world for ALL and year 47 will be no different," the company wrote in response to a comment on TikTok.

What's unclear, though, is whether Ben & Jerry's is being locked up because the owners of particular stores don't agree with the company's politics, or because a right-wing backlash has been fomented against the company. We can never forget that after Bud Light partnered with a trans influencer on a Pride campaign, their beer was vandalized and destroyed at stores across America.

It seems distinctly possible that the ice cream has been locked up to ensure that right-wing customers don't take it upon themselves to dump the entire inventory onto the floor. Of course, it also makes it difficult for anyone to actually buy Ben & Jerry's, leading some to wonder what the long-term solution to this problem might be.

What seems clear, though, is that it will take a lot more than a small-scale conservative boycott for Ben & Jerry's to step away from the values that have defined the company since its founding.

Although they definitely want to make money, few companies are more committed to social justice and battling white supremacy, even as they continue to sell delicious ice cream flavors.

That might upset some people who wish that the brand would stick to ice cream, but the decisions made by any government have an effect not just on regular people, but also on the employees of Ben & Jerry's and the company itself. They may sell ice cream, but they have as much stake in the future of the country as anybody does.