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New Campaign Calls for Nike to Dump Donald Trump
Courage Campaign Petition Calls for NYC NikeTown Store to Relocate Out of Trump-Owned Property After Lease Expires in 2017
NEW YORK — A new petition from Courage Campaign is calling on Nike to reject Donald Trump’s sexism, racism and xenophobia and sever its ties to Trump by announcing plans to relocate the sports apparel flagship Niketown store in NYC out of a Trump-owned property after its lease expires in 2017. More than 34,000 people have signed onto the petition since it launched last month.
VIEW THE PETITION HERE: http://act.couragecampaign.org/sign/NikeDumpTrump/
Flagship stores like Niketown are crucial for companies, as their strategic placements in prominent cities around the globe generate foot traffic and high volumes of sales, while increasing the brand’s value and reputation through association with similar, or higher valued brands. Nike currently leases the space for NikeTown from Donald Trump valued at $200m and that lease is set to expire in 2017. According to Nike, “diversity and inclusion are key levers in continuing to drive its creativity and innovation” and Courage Campaign argues that Trump’s rhetoric and values are inconsistent with Nike’s brand.
“For a leading global corporation that boasts its dedication to diversity and inclusion, Nike has done absolutely NOTHING to disassociate itself with Trump and his hate-filled presidential campaign. And its silence is deafening,” explained Laura Leavitt, Campaign Manager of the Courage Campaign. “Earlier this year, Nike immediately dropped Manny Pacquiao for his abhorrent remarks on same-sex couples. It cut ties with Maria Sharapova right away after she announced that she failed a drug test. But when Trump mocks a disabled reporter, makes sexist, racist and xenophobic comments, and encourages violence at political events — Nike does nothing.”
Last year, Macy’s cut ties with Donald Trump’s brand after the Republican frontrunner called Mexican immigrants “rapists,” derided and objectified women by calling them “bimbos,” “fat pigs,” and in one case, “ a young and beautiful piece of ass.” Trump has also said that he would stop all Muslims from entering the US and has encouraged violence against protesters at his events, even going so far as to say that protesters should be carried out on a stretcher and volunteering to pay the legal fees of any supporter who was arrested for assaulting a protester.
“It’s long past time for Nike to denounce Trump’s hateful rhetoric, and cut ties with Trump’s racist, sexist and xenophobic brand. This isn’t rocket science, Nike. Just do it,” added Leavitt.
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