Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a very busy man, but the former WWE Superstar turned world’s biggest movie star took some time on Thursday to write a lengthy Facebook post in response to recent comments made by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank about Donald Trump.
Plank praised Trump for being a “pro-business president” and said he was a “real asset to this country” in an interview with CNBC. That statement has elicited a response from many of Under Armour’s athletes. NBA star Steph Curry made his disagreement with Plank’s support of Trump clear with his response, while Kent Bazemore was more supportive of Plank’s sentiment about Trump. Johnson, who endorses Under Armour as well, joined Curry on Thursday afternoon in offering a dissenting opinion to Plank’s statement.
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The full statement from Johnson reads:
I appreciate and welcome the feedback from people who disagree (and agree) with Kevin Plank’s words on CNBC, but these are neither my words, nor my beliefs. 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.
A good company is not solely defined by its CEO. A good company is not defined by the athlete or celebrity who partners with them. A good company is not a single person. A good company is a team, a group of brothers and sisters committed to working together each and every day to provide for their families and one another and the clients they serve.
We don’t partner with a brand casually. I partner with brands I trust and with people who share my same values. That means a commitment to diversity, inclusion, community, open-mindedness and some serious hard work. But it doesn’t mean that I or my team will always agree with the opinion of everyone who works there, including its executives. Great leaders inspire and galvanize the masses during turbulent times, they don’t cause people to divide and disband.
My responsibility here is not only to the global audience we serve, but also to the thousands of workers who pour blood, sweat, and tears into making Under Armour strong. A diverse group of hardworking men and women who possess integrity, respect and compassion for one another and the world they live in. Debate is healthy. But in a time of widespread disagreement, so is loyalty. I feel an obligation to stand with this diverse team, the American and global workers, who are the beating heart and soul of Under Armour and the reason I chose to partner with them.
My commitment is as real as my sweat and callouses that thicken daily. #CommittedToThePeople
It’s both a strong statement by Johnson to say that Plank’s thoughts on Trump “were divisive and lacking in perspective,” but he also said he would remain loyal to the brand. This is similar to the sentiment put forth by Curry, and both noted that if they were ever to feel as though the company strayed from the principles that they believe in they would no longer be a part of it.
We’ll have to see if Plank is more careful with his public support of Trump in the future in the face of backlash from his customer base and biggest endorsers alike. It’s no surprise that the CEO of a major company would see Trump as a positive for business, but support for Trump cannot be separated from the social and moral issues that present themselves from many of his other policies. For an athletic wear company, embracing a diverse audience is necessary and anything that insinuates that isn’t a core philosophy of the company will be detrimental to their brand’s success.
