'I have so many new customers': Inventor of 'Build That Wall' cookie takes back apology

A baker in Edmonds, Wash., is retracting an apology he made after a photo of a cookie he decorated with the words “Build that Wall” went viral.

Ken Bellingham, who decorated the heart-shaped cookie with the odd Valentine’s Day message, is now saying that “people should lighten up,” only days after he issued an apology about it.

In a statement to KOMO, possibly emboldened by the amount of support he has received, Bellingham said, “Am I supposed to be quiet because I can’t write what I want, or I can only write what they want or makes them happy? No. That’s not how it is. They can write whatever they want on their own cookie and I can do that on mine.”

Bellingham initially experienced backlash for a cookie that, he claims, he was inspired to make after listening to his daughter-in-law and her daughter discuss politics while he was decorating at Edmonds Bakery. He explained it was only meant to be “a joke,” but told My Edmonds News that business is booming. “I have so many new customers.” He is now selling the cookies by the dozen.

Bellingham, who said he supports border security but not the wall, said that he often tries to be funny when decorating cookies, some of which now include, “I’m Offended” and “Lighten Up.”

After the criticism and the success, Bellingham wishes that the woman who initially shared the image of the baked good online had approached him instead. “This whole deal, I didn’t ask for it,” he told My Edmonds News. “If she would have come to me with a complaint about this cookie, I would have done something about it. I want to make sure people are happy when they leave here.”

Bellingham did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.

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