So much for free speech. Businesses and CEOs are learning that saying anything positive about the new president can come at a heavy cost.
Under Armour Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank is the most recent business person to land in hot water after saying something positive about Trump. Plank said in a CNBC interview that Trump’s “pro-business” attitude is a “real asset for this country.” But later in the interview, he expressed concerns about Trump’s calls for a border tax.
Pushback from sponsors, a market downgrade and other pressures forced Plank to clarify his statement and the company’s values and shell out for a clarifying full-page ad, The Washington Post reported.
In The Baltimore Sun full-page ad, Plank said “I answered a question with a choice of words that did not accurately reflect my intent. I want to clarify to our hometown exactly the values for which Under Armour and I stand." Plank also said the company was “publicly opposing” Trumps travel ban and “will join a coalition of companies in opposition to any new actions that negatively impact our team, their families or our community."
The controversy originated from Plank’s remarks on CNBC’s Fast Money Feb. 7. He told “Halftime Report” host Scott Wapner that “such a pro-business president is something that’s a real asset for this country.” Plank also said he is “a big fan of people who operate in the world of publish and iterate versus think think think think think.”
Because of this, many people on Twitter immediately called for a boycott of Under Armour. NBA star Stephen Curry, one of the sports celebrities with an Under Armour endorsement deal, told The Mercury News “I would agree with the description, if your remove the ‘et’ from asset.”
Other Under Armour endorsers Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Misty Copeland also spoke out against Plank’s comments.
While Plank backpedaled due to anti-Trump pressure, Wegmans grocery store chain recently refused to give in to boycott threats for selling Trump wine.
