Trump Republicans urge boycott of ‘woke’ American companies
US companies face boycotts for siding with Democrats over voting reforms, with Donald Trump leading attacks on ‘woke’ chief executives.
American companies face boycotts for siding with Democrats over reforms to voting laws, with Donald Trump leading attacks on “woke” chief executives.
The new corporate front in the polarisation of the US comes after Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, both based in Georgia, said changes to voting laws were unacceptable. Liberal campaigners had threatened to boycott the companies unless they voiced outrage. Now they face calls for their products and services to be shunned by conservatives.
Georgia is at the centre of the clash after its Republican state majority changed voting rules to enforce the mandatory use of photo ID or utility bills to check requests for absentee ballots. This replaced a signature verification process where the handwriting on the requests was checked against the returned ballot.
Major League Baseball is also under attack from conservatives for withdrawing its showpiece all-star game from Atlanta in Georgia after intense pressure from civil rights groups and Democrats, led by President Joe Biden. Leading Democrat Chuck Schumer suggested that New York should host the game, though many of its voter rules are stricter there than those introduced in Georgia. The battle has spread to Texas, where Republicans have responded to Mr Trump’s false claims that last November’s presidential election was rigged by introducing measures to tighten laws on postal and early voting.
American Airlines and Dell Technologies, both based in Texas, spoke out against the proposals. Michael Dell, chief executive of the computer company, said: “Free, fair, equitable access to voting is the foundation of American democracy” and “those rights — especially for women, communities of colour — have been hard-earned”. Coca-Cola chief James Quincey said Georgia’s new voting “legislation is unacceptable … it needs to be remedied”.
Mr Trump maintains that he won Georgia by a “landslide” after losing to Mr Biden by 11,779 votes. He issued a statement saying: “For years the Radical Left Democrats have played dirty by boycotting products when anything from that company is done or stated in any way that offends them. Now they are going big time with WOKE CANCEL CULTURE and our sacred elections.
“It is time for Republicans and conservatives to fight back … Boycott Major League Baseball, Coca-Cola, Delta, JPMorgan Chase, ViacomCBS, Citigroup, Cisco, UPS, and Merck. Don’t go back … until they relent.”
Newt Gingrich, a Republican former Speaker, told Fox News: “Coca-Cola is not going to say a word about all the things that the Chinese totalitarian government does … because it costs them too much.” He accused Mr Biden of lying about Georgia’s changes. Mr Biden told ESPN: “You’re going to close a polling place at 5 o’clock when working people just get off? This is all about keeping workin’ folks … from being able to vote”. In fact, the new law does not change Georgia’s election day voting hours, which still end at 7pm.
The decision by Rob Manfred, head of Major League Baseball, to move the all-star game to another state will cost the Atlanta region millions. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans,” he said.
Former Democratic president Barack Obama tweeted: “Congratulations to MLB for taking a stand on behalf of voting rights for all citizens.”
Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, said he would not be changing the law. “Major League Baseball caved to fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies,” he said. “Georgians, and all Americans, should understand what the MLB’s kneejerk decision means: cancel culture and woke political activists are coming for every aspect of your life.”
The Times
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