July 20 (UPI) — The company behind the so-called “patriotic” marketplace PublicSq made its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president and an investor, joined in chants of “USA” at the event.
PublicSq Holdings Inc., was offered Thursday on the completion of a merger between the company and Colombier Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded company that acted as a vessel to take it public, according to a release.
“We chose to partner with PublicSq because we believe patriotic Americans who feel alienated by the woke agendas of the mainstream economy represent the most massive underserved market in the world,” said Colombier CEO Omeed Malik, who faced claims of sexual harassment at Bank of America in 2018.
Garrett Ventry, a representative for Malik, said in emailed remarks to UPI that he received a settlement from Bank of America for “wrongful termination on these claims.”
“I look forward to continuing to provide my expertise and guidance as a member of the board as PublicSq continues on its growth trajectory as a publicly listed company,” Malik said Thursday.
Malik was joined by PublicSQ chief executive Michael Seifert and members of the post-closing board of directors and management team for the ringing of the opening bell Thursday.
“USA! USA!” a small crowd chanted as it rallied around Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president and an investor in the company, who was seen onstage.
The chanting drowned out CNBC’s Jim Cramer, who looked visibly annoyed, as he tried to host Squawk on the Street, video published by Mediaite shows.
“You can tell Jim Cramer isn’t used to hearing USA chants on the NYSE floor,” Seifert said in a tweet. “I am so proud of our @officialpsq team and everything we’ve accomplished over the last year.”
Members of the board of directors include Ryan Kavanaugh, the financer for hundreds of films including four of the Fast and Furious movies, Social Network, Limitless, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers.
Shares of PSQH stock peaked at $33.82 just before 2 p.m. and dropped to $29.50 by the time of market close, NASDAQ data shows. Share prices were down to $27.48 in after-hours trading.
PublicSq is offered on the Apple Store and Google Play store, where it has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The app has a 3.7 rating out of five stars on Google Play with reviewers commenting it “needs a lot of work.”
The app requires users to create an account to log in before viewing its contents.
