Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank Backpedals On Trump Support
Kevin Plank, Under Armour CEO, has taken the saying “go big or go home” to a new level as he took out a full-page ad in the Baltimore Sun in order to tell everyone that his thoughts on Donald Trump were misconstrued. But others believe that Plank did not expect his thoughts on Donald Trump to hit his company, and more importantly, his stock so hard, and so he has started some serious backpedaling. Even some of the athletes and celebs who represent his label have been forthcoming in saying that if the Under Armour brand supports Trump, they won’t be hawked by Under Armour.
But Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and ballerina Misty Copeland let Kevin Plank of Under Armour know that they are not on board with many Trump philosophies, says the Inquisitr, especially those concerning travel bans. Copeland, who is the principal ballerina for American Ballet Theater, has also been an Under Armour spokesperson for the last year, but Misty has some concerns if she will be affiliated with a ban that is anti-Muslim.
The ol' full-page ad tactic: #UnderArmour CEO Kevin Plank responds to Trump tempest with letter to Baltimore https://t.co/UFZayku5qz
— Will O'Brien (@wpo3) February 15, 2017
Though Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank thinks this all has to do with an interview he gave discussing business within a Trump government, it likely has more to do with being photographed meeting with President Trump at the White House, and how he explained their collaboration. The New York Post quoted Plank who said that Donald Trump was “an asset to the country” in the midst of a travel ban that had people in custody at airports across the country.
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But even though Plank is now saying that his own words were misunderstood, he decided to take out a full page in the Baltimore Sun to tell people “how he really feels.”
“In a business television interview last week, I answered a question with a choice of words that did not accurately reflect my intent. With an anticipated new executive order on immigration set to come out, we will join a coalition of companies in opposition to any new actions that negatively impact our team, their families or our community.”
Following a steep drop in Under Armour's stock, CEO Kevin Plank backtracks on his comments calling Trump an "asset." #GrabYourWallet pic.twitter.com/d567OTiBno
— Southern Democrats (@SouthernDems_) February 15, 2017
It’s hard to know which had more impact on Plank’s decision, public outcry or the words of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who was supported by Misty Copeland and NBA star Stephen Curry, when he said that Plank, in speaking for Under Armour, used language and held beliefs which were divisive.
“His words were divisive and lacking in perspective. Inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of Under Armour’s partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO.
Misty Copeland said that she was so upset that she insisted on speaking to Plank personally, and Steph Curry used a play on the word “asset” to described what he thought of Plank’s words and behavior.
“I agree with that description, if you remove the ‘-et’ from asset.”
In the letter that appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank wrote to home city Baltimore that he didn’t mean what he said.
“I want to clarify for our hometown exactly the values for which Under Armour and I stand.”
But Plank says that actions will speak louder than words, and he wants to be judged by Under Armour’s opposition to “any new actions that negatively impact our team, our neighbors or their families.”
Do you think that Kevin Plank’s statements on the Trump policies are genuine, or were they a panic due to dropping stock prices?
[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
