Goodyear plant in Somerville, Massachusetts (2017)
Photo: Brian Snyder / REUTERSUS President Donald Trump has called for a boycott of the tire manufacturer Goodyear because the company is disadvantaging its supporters. The company had banned headgear with its slogan "Make America Great Again", the president said on Twitter. After Trump's tweet, the price of Goodyear shares initially fell by more than three percent, but then largely recovered.
The trigger for Trump's actions were media reports that during a training session at a Goodyear plant in the US state of Kansas clothing with the slogan was declared "unacceptable". Trump had already backed the "MAGA" promise in the 2016 election campaign to restore America to its old size.
According to a photo of a presentation slide published on the Internet, symbols of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, which protests against police violence against blacks, and the "Pride" symbols for tolerance towards sexual minorities were allowed. On the other hand, statements in support of the counter-movements "Blue Lives Matter", which supports the police, and "All Lives Matter", which argues that racism against blacks should not be highlighted, were not permitted.
Goodyear emphasized that employees are generally asked to refrain from expressing support for political parties or campaigns. On the other hand, working for equality and against racially motivated injustice is allowed.
"Buy better tires for a lot less money!" Tweeted Trump. As a result, photos were circulated on Twitter showing the Goodyear lettering on the tires of his presidential limousine. Trump's spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany did not want to comment on whether the vehicle with the nickname "Beast" continues to run on Goodyear tires - because this is a safety issue.
Goodyear, founded in 1898, is an American company based in the state of Ohio and employing more than 60,000 people. Trump's promise also includes defending the interests of the local economy. McEnany said: "The president will never apologize for standing on the side of the law enforcement officers." That was an obvious reference to "Blue Lives Matter" - Trump himself had only referred to the "MAGA" motto in his tweet, which is mainly emblazoned on baseball caps.
Icon: The mirrorpgo / dpa