Donald Trump's L.L. Bean tweet is weird in multiple ways
UPDATED(11:00 a.m. ET): Updated to reflect Linda Bean's ownership of the restaurant.
On Thursday morning, President-elect Donald Trump once again tried to influence the fortunes of a business company with a tweet, but went about it in a weird way that wades into murky ethical waters.
SEE ALSO:Even Fox News is defending CNN against TrumpTrump's tweet thanked Linda Bean, a member of the board of directors at retailer L.L. Bean, by name, but then included the handle of Linda Bean's Maine-based lobster restaurant (but, interestingly, not L.L. Bean's company Twitter handle).
Tweet may have been deleted
Linda Bean -- the human, not the lobster restaurant -- is the granddaughter of Leon Leonwood Bean, L.L. Bean's founder, and donated $60,000 to Trump's PAC, incurring the wrath of the group Grab Your Wallet.
Grab Your Wallet maintains an extensive list of shops and companies connected to Trump that it urges shoppers to boycott, instead steering them toward other retailers. The group quickly added L.L. Bean to the list.
In response to the boycott, L.L. Bean released a statement last week pointing out that Linda Bean was only one of dozens of family members involved in the company and that her political stance did not represent the views of the company: "L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions."
But the GYW group isn't backing down, insisting it will continue the boycott unless Linda Bean steps down. GYW co-founder Shannon Coulter told the Portland, Maine newspaper the Portland Press Herald, “If Linda’s removal from the board were to go forward, I would most likely remove L.L. Bean from the boycott list."
As for Trump, he's clearly grown to enjoy the power of his tweets and how they affect the business of the companies he either praises or decries. He's previously tweeted about Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Motors, Toyota, and the AT&T-Time Warner merger.
It's become such a phenomenon that there's even an app for alerts when Trump tweets about a company.
Tweet may have been deleted
What sets this example apart from previous incidents, aside from the whole "tweeting the wrong company" thing, is that Trump was essentially endorsing a company after someone from that business gave him money, a highly unusual -- and some say unethical -- move.
Tweet may have been deleted
This new controversy also comes at a time when Trump is still coming under heavy criticism for how he's choosing to handle his own businesses as he prepares to enter the White House. At Wednesday's highly contentious press conference, Trump said he'd give up leadership of his business to his sons, but refused to create a blind trust, generating heaps of criticism over the potential for conflicts of interest in his presidency.
And, now, by tweeting Linda Bean's restaurant instead of just using her name, he's influenced twoof her business. By mid-afternoon, the restaurant's account had more than doubled its followers (though still stood at only around 3,200).
However, given Trump's extensive history of commercial endorsements, there's probably nothing to be surprised about anymore. Here's to the first White House endorsement of stuffed-crust pizza.
-
Trump won't stop making a deceptive bird claim. Experts debunk it.Southgate targets No. 1 ranking for EnglandArsenal pounce on title rivals’ stumbleZoom hackers are spoofing HR meeting invites to steal user login info[Graphic News] Average book price nears 20,000 wonCES might have helped spread COVID元旦期间 雅安小雨纷纷城乡一体化 推动城乡经济社会大融合海丰芥蓝入选全国名特优新农产品名录Modified battery separator acts as a "spillway" to prevent fires
- ·Scientists detect water sloshing on Mars. There could be a lot.
- ·聆听 雅安人心中的龙年春晚
- ·Prosecutors launch probe over documents on Samsung
- ·Zoom has more than 300 million users now, with just 10 million at 2019's end
- ·全国土壤普查办抽验组到广东开展土壤普查质量抽验
- ·寒冬来袭 如何保护好五官
- ·我市一玉米科研项目获省科技进步一等奖
- ·Croatia deserve to be at Euro: Modric
- ·Top 10 Tech Pranks
- ·First ladies of Koreas visit children's hospital, music college in Pyongyang
- ·Dash of graphene leads to "toughest" solid battery electrolyte to date
- ·First couples' fashion statements
- ·Wordle today: The answer and hints for August 29
- ·Seoul Metro official found to be involved in graft case
- ·Russia's flour aid arrives in N. Korea
- ·Dash of graphene leads to "toughest" solid battery electrolyte to date
- ·Families of S. Korean detainees in NK appeal to embassies for support
- ·孕妇防辐射服扰人心:商家头痛 孕妈妈心乱
- ·MrBeast has unseated Pewdiepie as the most
- ·A cup brimming with controversy
- ·The OLED Burn
- ·10万余盆鲜花上街迎元旦
- ·LIV critic McIlroy quits PGA Tour board role
- ·Southgate targets No. 1 ranking for England
- ·[Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source
- ·Still can’t get the IRS site working to check the status of your stimulus check? Try this.