President Trump hasn’t tweeted about Nike’s decision to add Colin Kaepernick to its long-running “Just Do It” marketing campaign, but you know it’s coming.
Kaepernick is known for kneeling during the national anthem to bring attention to racial injustice, a move that he maintains cost him his career. Dozens of other players and cheerleaders also kneeled during the anthem, spurring criticism from Trump.
Just hours after Kaepernick was announced as the face of Nike’s new Just Do It campaign, people began to protest. A few took to burning their Nike apparel.
Country musician John Rich said on Twitter that his soundman was cutting off the Nike logo from his socks in protest, although it was not clear if the swoosh-less socks would continue to be worn.
Nike unveiled a new ad on Monday for the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, who has remained unsigned by an NFL team for nearly two years.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback tweeted an image from the new campaign featuring a close-up photo of his face, accompanied by the words “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Shares of the shoe and apparel giant dropped $2.76, or 2.8 percent, to $79.93 in afternoon trading.
Nike has in recent months been under scrutiny for its culture and accusations that women are not adequately represented in its leadership ranks.
Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker apologized for the company’s work culture in May to employees in a company-wide meeting.