The resistance has started, complete with use of the capital-letter “r” and Democratic-establishment buy-in. This week, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, for one, announced she’s recruiting volunteers to “bring communities together to resist in a divided nation.”
President Donald Trump is, of course, the chief target of the resistance, even if Gov. Brown isn’t calling him out by name in her effort. But many left-leaning Americans aren’t sure how to participate. They can’t put their lives on hold to march on Washington, D.C., time and again. Some, while opposed to Trump, don’t want to be actively involved in a partisan movement.
One option that’s gaining traction: refusing to patronize businesses that sell Trump products or trade on the Trump name. That’s where efforts like #GrabYourWallet and the DJT Resistance come in. #Grab was started in October by brand strategist Shannon Coulter, Business Insider writes. The boycott’s name is a play on Trump’s infamous 2005 hot-mic boast that because he was a celebrity he could grab women by the genitals at will.
“The main focus of the #GrabYourWallet boycott is on retailers that do direct, monthly business with the Trump family, thereby enriching and emboldening a group of people we feel are extremely harmful to our nation,” #Grab’s online spreadsheet states.
That means large department stores — already facing market pressures ranging from the rise of online retailing to mall culture going out of fashion — could take another hit, mainly thanks to products they carry by the president’s daughter, Ivanka. The companies at the top of the #Grab boycott list:
Nordstrom, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, L.L. Bean, Bloomingdale’s and Dillard’s.
Online behemoth Amazon is also on the #Grab list, even though founder and CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, one of the media outlets that has been hardest on Trump.
The DJT Resistance website — its stated mission is to “make hatred, bigotry, xenophobia, sexism, racism and greed pay the price” — calls out many of the same companies. Its boycott list includes Hobby Lobby, the Pep Boys and even the New England Patriots, whose star quarterback, Tom Brady, has a long-standing friendship with Trump.
Needless to say, boycotts can cut both ways. In response to Trump’s controversial U.S.-bound travel ban targeting select Muslim-majority countries, including war-torn Syria, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced the coffee company would hire thousands of refugees. Trump supporters responded immediately, with #BoycottStarbucks trending this week on social media.
— Douglas Perry
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