Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden defended Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. as President Donald Trump urged his supporters to boycott the manufacturer after it announced a ban on “Make America Great Again” (or MAGA) hats as part of a “zero tolerance” policy in the workplace.
“Goodyear employs thousands of American workers, including in Ohio where it is headquartered. To President Trump, those workers and their jobs aren’t a source of pride, just collateral damage in yet another one of his political attacks,” Biden said in a statement. “President Trump doesn’t have a clue about the dignity and worth that comes with good-paying union jobs at places like Goodyear — jobs that can support a family and sustain a community.”
Biden added that Trump is “getting distracted by petty political grievances instead of doing his job and stopping” the coronavirus pandemic, which claimed the lives of more than 176,000 Americans to date.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) also criticized the president’s coronavirus response.
“Trump’s botched coronavirus response has been catastrophic for American workers. Now he’s making things worse by recklessly calling for the boycott of an American company that employs thousands of workers across the country because of a segment he saw while live-tweeting cable news,” DNC spokesperson Lily Adams said in a statement. “The American people deserve better than a president who is willing to make them suffer for his own political vendettas.”
Earlier today, Trump took to Twitter and declared, “Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES.”
“They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!),” the president wrote.
The tweet came just as a Fox News segment on Goodyear’s policy aired on television, signaling that the president was watching Fox earlier this morning and chose to respond to it. A photo circulating on social media shows a slide that was presented during a diversity training. Goodyear considers Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride acceptable. Under unacceptable: “Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, MAGA Attire, Political Affiliated Slogans or Material.”
“Goodyear is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace where all of our associates can do their best in a spirit of teamwork,” the companysaidin a statement. “As part of this commitment, we do allow our associates to express their support on racial injustice and other equity issues but ask that they refrain from workplace expressions, verbal or otherwise, in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party as well as other similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of equity issues.”
