Domino’s hits back at criticism over eight-year-old tweet to White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany

Domino’s has hit back at criticism after an eight-year-old tweet was resurfaced in an attempt to “cancel” the pizza chain.

Domino’s has hit back at criticism after an eight-year-old tweet replying to White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was resurfaced in an attempt to “cancel” the pizza chain.

In the offending tweet from 2012 – when she was still at university – Ms McEnany wrote, “FUN FACT: @dominos is wayyyy better than any NYC pizza.”

Domino’s account replied at the time, “@kayleighmcenany That's one heck of a compliment! Thanks for the love! #WEAPPRECIATEIT!”

@kayleighmcenany That's one heck of a compliment! Thanks for the love! #WEAPPRECIATEIT!

— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) November 9, 2012

The tweet was highlighted by conservative commentator and vocal Donald Trump critic Rick Wilson on Monday.

“You just killed your brand. #ETTD,” he wrote, somewhat stretching the Oxford definition of the adverb for “very recently; in the immediate past”.

You just killed your brand. #ETTD https://t.co/NdGee87xvH

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 16, 2020

Mr Wilson’s followers took the bait.

“Well, last night was the last Dominoes (sic) pizza I’ll ever order,” Twitter user Brett Dallinger wrote under the 2775-day-old Domino’s tweet.

“Love Dominos (sic), but never again,” user David Hoffman said.

Courtney DeCamp added, “Way to align yourself with a political party, Domino’s. Probably should have just been silent.”

Well, last night was the last Dominoes pizza I’ll ever order.

— Brett Dallinger (@BrettDallinger) June 16, 2020

Conservatives on social media mocked Mr Wilson for the bizarre attempt to shame Domino’s.

Rick is mad about a Domino's tweet from eight years ago https://t.co/eMmve5TkAj

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) June 16, 2020

The pizza chain responded on Tuesday.

“Welp. It’s unfortunate that thanking a customer for a compliment back in 2012 would be viewed as political. Guess that's 2020 for ya,” the business’s account tweeted.

Welp. It's unfortunate that thanking a customer for a compliment back in 2012 would be viewed as political. Guess that's 2020 for ya.

— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) June 16, 2020

Subsequently, conservative strategist Caleb Hull posted photos apparently from social media accounts of Mr Wilson’s family showing a cooler decorated with the Confederate flag and the words, “The South Will Rise Again”.

Hi Molly, thanks for replying to my tweet! Care to weigh in on why you have a confederate cooler that says "THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN" https://t.co/UKek7ZCodt pic.twitter.com/fTsd6CnNab

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 16, 2020

Hey @TheRickWilson, why did you delete this? pic.twitter.com/DkeyTDiYo9

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 16, 2020

That was then picked up by Donald Trump Jr.

Don't worry @dominos, it turns out that the only brand cancelled today is the brand of Rick "The South will rise again" Wilson. https://t.co/AiT73noo2I pic.twitter.com/tXyK2eGH3w

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 16, 2020

Mr Wilson most recently made headlines in January after mocking Trump supporters as “hillbillies” and “the credulous boomer rube demo” during a CNN panel discussion.

The clip went viral in conservative social media circles and was even used by the official Trump campaign in an ad.

Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television (with terrible ratings!). https://t.co/iQXCc7lvCt

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2020

“President Trump has long argued that CNN’s coverage of him is negative because the organisation thinks little of him and his supporters,” The Washington Post’s Eugene Scott wrote at the time.

“A recent segment on the cable network seems to be making that case for him.”