The rent at Nike’s Niketown store in New York City might be going up.
President Trump owns that property and he apparently is not a fan of the athletic apparel company or their decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of their new “Just Do It” campaign.
That decision, which resulted in people burning Nike products and the brand’s stock taking a hit, sends a “terrible message,” Trump told The Daily Caller in an Oval Office interview.
“I think it’s a terrible message. Nike is a tenant of mine. They pay a lot of rent,” Trump said. “But 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.”
Despite his objections to Nike hiring Kaepernick and the message he believes it sends, the president did admit the company does have a right to conduct its business how it wants.
“As much as I disagree with the Colin Kaepernick endorsement, in another way — I mean, I wouldn’t have done it,” Trump said. “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.”
In a tweet after the interview published, Trump was even more critical of Nike and the NFL in general.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
The NFL had a different take on the matter, releasing a statement Tuesday in support of Kaepernick and his social justice activism even though he is in the process of suing the league.
“The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding, and unity,” the statement read. “We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities. The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.”
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