Photo: Twitter / Rope Burns
Acting U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a bitter, seemingly unprovoked attack on tire-making company Goodyear. It started with a tweet and continued at a press briefing, where he explained what had prompted his ire.
You can see Trump’s original tweet at the bottom of the page. There’s really no way of misunderstanding it: he wants his supporters to stop buying Goodyear tires because, he says, Goodyear threw the first stone by announcing “a ban on MAGA hats.” MAGA hats are the (in)famous red Make America Great Again caps Trump has been using to campaign for a second term in the White House.
“Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less!” the President wrote. “(This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).”
Though apparently unprovoked, the call for the boycott was actually linked to an image (available above) that started making the rounds online this week, Politico reports. It was a photo snapped by a Goodyear staffer during a recent diversity training session at the Topeka, Kansas plant and it apparently indicated to staff what type of work attire would be acceptable and what not. While BLM and pride displays were deemed OK, All Lives Matter, MAGA, Blue Lives Matter and “Political Affiliated Slogans or Material” were on the forbidden list.
Goodyear has not confirmed that the photo is legit but they did say it is not corporate-sanctioned and that it was never included in any type of diversity training. Furthermore, they stressed that all political displays are off-limits, not just MAGA hats.
“Goodyear has zero tolerance for any forms of harassment or discrimination,” reads the official statement to the media outlet. “To enable a workplace environment free of those, we ask that associates refrain from workplace expressions in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party, as well as similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues.”
Trump stood by his call for boycott at the press briefing. To online criticism that he’s trying to cancel an all-American company that hires “real” Americans, and how even the vehicles in the Presidential fleet have Goodyear tires, he says there are always other options for American-made tires. Both for the people and himself. “I think it’s disgraceful that they did this,” he adds.
Goodyear employs some 63,000 people in the U.S.
“Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less!” the President wrote. “(This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).”
Though apparently unprovoked, the call for the boycott was actually linked to an image (available above) that started making the rounds online this week, Politico reports. It was a photo snapped by a Goodyear staffer during a recent diversity training session at the Topeka, Kansas plant and it apparently indicated to staff what type of work attire would be acceptable and what not. While BLM and pride displays were deemed OK, All Lives Matter, MAGA, Blue Lives Matter and “Political Affiliated Slogans or Material” were on the forbidden list.
Goodyear has not confirmed that the photo is legit but they did say it is not corporate-sanctioned and that it was never included in any type of diversity training. Furthermore, they stressed that all political displays are off-limits, not just MAGA hats.
“Goodyear has zero tolerance for any forms of harassment or discrimination,” reads the official statement to the media outlet. “To enable a workplace environment free of those, we ask that associates refrain from workplace expressions in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party, as well as similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues.”
Trump stood by his call for boycott at the press briefing. To online criticism that he’s trying to cancel an all-American company that hires “real” Americans, and how even the vehicles in the Presidential fleet have Goodyear tires, he says there are always other options for American-made tires. Both for the people and himself. “I think it’s disgraceful that they did this,” he adds.
Goodyear employs some 63,000 people in the U.S.
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
I could understand if they said all were unacceptable, but pick a side and deal with the consequences. pic.twitter.com/sGFuy6Jybe
— Rope Burns (@ropeburns7) August 19, 2020
Now, we the taxpayers, will have to bare the expense of replacing all of the Goodyear tires on the presidential vehicles... & B pic.twitter.com/jMkWawpk4F
— Cam Elliot (@CamElliot22) August 19, 2020
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