President Trump reveled in the backlash Nike is facing over making Colin Kaepernick the face of its “Just Do It” campaign, tweeting Wednesday that the sneaker giant is “getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts.”
The president, who played a major role pressuring the NFL to crack down on players protesting police violence and other issues by kneeling during the national anthem, compared Nike’s predicament to the football league’s.
“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!” he tweeted.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem during a 2016 pre-season game when he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers to protest racial injustices and police brutality. The now-former quarterback was announced Monday as the face of a new ad campaign to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan.
The company faced a swift backlash from some former customers. Videos and photos showed fans destroying their Nike-branded apparel, with some going as far as letting the gear go up in flames.
The decision drew support elsewhere, though, including from ex-CIA Director John Brennan.
“Colin Kaepernick drew our collective attention to the problem of continued racial injustice in America,” Brennan tweeted. “He did so not to disrespect our flag but to give meaning to the words of the preamble of our Constitution—‘in order to form a more perfect union.’ Well done, Colin, well done.”
Fox News’ Brian Flood and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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