White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday defended President Trump’s call for a boycott against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. by attempting to bolster Trump’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers.
In a Wednesday morning tweet, the President urged the public to boycott Goodyear tires over a “BAN ON MAGA HATS.” However, the Ohio-based company has not officially implemented a ban targeting MAGA hats, and stated that it’s asked its 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.”
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
Trump’s call for a Goodyear boycott comes after Topeka, Kansas TV station WIBW reported on an anonymous Goodyear employee’s screenshot that the employee claimed was part of the company’s diversity training. The screenshot showed Black Lives Matter and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride messages as “acceptable” under company policy. In contrast, slogans and items such “MAGA Attire” and “Blue Lives Matter” fell under the “unacceptable” category.
Goodyear, whose stocks immediately plunged after Trump’s tweet, acknowledged in a tweet that the company became the focus of a conversation that “created some misconceptions about our policies and our company.” In its statement, Goodyear denied that the screenshot was created or distributed by the company’s corporate offices nor was part of a diversity training class. Goodyear also denied that it’s “anti-police” and that it has the “utmost appreciation” for police forces.
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
When pressed on Trump’s Goodyear boycott demand during a White House briefing on Wednesday, McEnany wouldn’t comment on whether the President would continue to use tires made by the company, but urged it to “come out and clarify their policy” after a reporter pointed out that a ban on political speech is standard for most companies.
McEnany argued that the screenshot by the anonymous Goodyear employee, which showed MAGA hats being deemed unacceptable by the company, shows that “what was clearly targeted was a certain ideology.”
Asked whether the President himself reached out to Goodyear prior to his tweet, McEnany bypassed the question and bolstered Trump’s previous assertion that he’s the President of “law and order” instead.
“They came out and said equity issues. As far as I’m concerned, Blue Lives Matter is an equity issue,” McEnany said. “There have been police officers across this country that have been targeted because they wear the badge.”
After ranting about the Black Lives Matter movement for its call to defund the police, McEnany doubled down on how Blue Lives Matter is an “equity issue” that Goodyear “needs to come out and acknowledge.”
McEnany added that the President called for the Goodyear boycott over MAGA, which she characterized as being “pretty much unanimous with Blue Lives Matter these days.”
Later in the briefing, McEnany was pressed on whether his Goodyear boycott is the official policy of the federal government.
“The President was talking to his supporters when he tweeted that in particular,” McEnany said. “This President will never apologize for standing with law enforcement. He won’t. He think it’s unacceptable.”
Watch McEnany’s remarks below:
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Trump calling for Goodyear boycott: "The reason he called for the boycott was over MAGA. MAGA is pretty much unanimous with Blue Lives Matter these days." pic.twitter.com/XjaXI4PqkI
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) August 19, 2020
