Donald Trump has finally responded to the Nike advertisement that set the social media world on fire last night — the commemoration of the company’s 30-year run of the “Just Do It” campaign featuring former superstar quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick.
Kaep, as he is affectionately known, has had an endorsement deal with Nike for some time. But the decision by the sports equipment and clothing manufacturer to feature the “controversial” player as the new face of the advertisements drew fire from all corners of the conservative universe, sparking outrage and even boycotts featuring Republican voters and assorted racists doing what they do best in a boycott: Setting their money on fire, basically.
From cutting the tops off their socks to tearing holes in their shorts, and even setting their ridiculously expensive shoes on fire, right-wingers seemed to misunderstand how product boycotts work — rather than simply using up and then never replacing their Nike merchandise, they elected to destroy products they had already spent money on.
Everyone waited for Trump to finally weigh on on the issue, although he chose not to until he had a friendly interview inside the Oval Office with noted hyper-conservative blog “The Daily Caller” (who we do not link to on this site, so here’s a google link that may or may not get you there).
I think it’s a terrible message that they’re sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it. But I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it.”
The message that Trump is disagreeing with the existence of there is the issue of police brutality toward the minority community and among blacks especially — despite all evidence, Donald Trump does not believe unequal treatment by police exists.
He did allow for the fact that Nike has a first amendment right to say and do what they want:
As much as I disagree with the Colin Kaepernick endorsement, in another way — I mean, I wouldn’t have done it. In another way, it is what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn’t do, but I personally am on a different side of it.”
That’s essentially Trump’s first acknowledgment that anyone has the absolute right to say what they want. It’s too bad he was aiming the statement at the corporation and not the black NFL players whose protests set off Trump’s rage to begin with.
Featured image via screen capture
