Donald Trump calls for boycott of Goodyear after tyre company announces ban on political attire
Donald Trump urged his supporters to boycott Goodyear tyres after the company said employees could not wear his ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) campaign merchandise when working.
“Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less!” the US president tweeted. “(This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).”
Mr Trump appeared to be referencing calls from some Democrats to boycott Goya Foods, after the food company's chief executive praised the president during a White House visit earlier this year.
Mr Trump's tweet came after an image from a Goodyear office emerged which classed “Black Lives Matter” attire as acceptable in the workplace but “Blue Lives Matter” or “MAGA” items as unacceptable.
Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020
Democrats accused Mr Trump of endangering American jobs with the tweet and noted the company’s headquarters is in Ohio, a swing state.
Goodyear has a more than 120-year history in the battleground state, while most of its competition is headquartered outside the United States.
Ted Lieu, a prominent California congressman, tweeted: "why is @realDonaldTrump attacking an American company headquartered in Ohio?"
Dear @PressSec: FYI, law enforcement uses Goodyear Tires. And this proud Akron company gives law enforcement and military members a discount. So, again, you have no idea what you are talking about. And why is @realDonaldTrump attacking an American company headquartered in Ohio? https://t.co/qWeR0YymQi
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 19, 2020
Sherrod Brown, a Democratic senator for Ohio, tweeted: "It's absolutely despicable that the President would call for a boycott of an American company, based in Akron, that employs thousands of U.S. workers."
Mr Trump's tweet immediately sent the company' stock tumbling, losing about 3.8 per cent of its value in mid-day trading.
It followed a report from WIBW television station in Topeka, Kansas, based on an anonymous Goodyear employee's screenshot that listed "Black Lives Matter and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride" messages as acceptable while politically affiliated slogans and material, including "MAGA Attire" and "Blue Lives Matter," were listed as unacceptable. The screenshot was described in the report as part of the company's diversity training.
Yesterday, Goodyear became the focus of a conversation that created some misconceptions about our policies and our company. Goodyear has always wholeheartedly supported both equality and law enforcement and will continue to do so. pic.twitter.com/oO6jUg2rTR
— Goodyear (@goodyear) August 19, 2020
Goodyear said the screenshot was not created or distributed by the company's corporate offices or part of a diversity training class.
However, the company remained firm in its response, saying that it asked employees to refrain from workplace expressions involving political campaigning or "forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues issues".
In a tweet of its own, Goodyear said that the company was the focus of a conversation that "created some misconceptions", adding it has "always wholeheartedly supported both equality and law enforcement and will continue to do so."