Trump calls Nike's Colin Kaepernick ads 'a terrible message'
The president comments as shares of Nike drop 2%, and opponents to the new campaign with Colin Kaepernick set fire to their shoes.
Tuesday 4 September 2018 23:13, UK
Donald Trump has hit back at Nike for its campaign using a controversial American footballer, by saying it sends "a terrible message".
The US president was responding to the sportswear maker's adverts featuring Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback whose decision to kneel during the national anthem sparked anger.
Mr Trump told the Daily Caller news site: "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."
And he appeared to send what could be interpreted as a coded warning, saying: "Nike is a tenant of mine. They pay a lot of rent."
Niketown New York is located at 6 East 57th Street in New York City, one of the buildings in the Trump Organisation's property portfolio.
Nike's shares dropped by 2% after it was criticised for its new campaign.
Some fans burned clothes, cut off the trademark Nike swoosh and called for a boycott in protest at the new deal with quarterback Kaepernick, who has not yet signed a deal for this season.
The deal has angered many who see Kaepernick as a controversial figure.
His kneeling move came during the 2016 NFL season and was designed to draw attention to racism and police brutality.
The quarterback had a previous deal with Nike but it was due to expire. Kaepernick renegotiated the deal and became one of the faces of the brand's 30th anniversary of the Just Do It tagline.
The NFL and Nike have also extended their partnership until 2028, with Nike providing all NFL teams with game-day kits and sideline clothing.
Nike is not the only sportswear company to suffer a slide on Tuesday morning, with Puma and Adidas also dropping by about the same percentage points.
Robert Pavlik, from SlateStone Wealth LLC, said the drop may be more to do with the markets' strong run for the last three weeks.
Social media has been divided over the issue of a protest and boycott of the Kaepernick deal.
Some have stated Nike will never get their money again.
Other have called for people to give their Nike items to homeless veterans instead of throwing them away or burning them.
Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since early 2017, is suing the organisation - claiming that team owners have frozen him out to due to his activism.
The kneeling protest has become a divisive issue within the NFL, with Donald Trump calling players who kneel "sons of b*".
However, he has not yet waded in on the new campaign.