Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank responded to intense criticism Wednesday over comments he made supporting President Donald Trump’s pro-business policies by writing an open letter to Baltimore, where Under Armour is headquartered, and running it as a full-page advertisement in The Baltimore Sun.
In a CNBC interview last week, Plank said Trump “wants to make bold decisions and be decisive” and that having “a pro-business president is something that’s a real asset to this country. People should grab that opportunity.”
Some consumers lashed out at Plank on social media for the comments and even said they would boycott Under Armour products because of his views. Additionally, athlete-endorsers of the Under Armour brand — NBA star Stephen Curry, ballerina Misty Copeland, and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — tweeted that they opposed Plank’s views, with Johnson calling the comments “divisive.”
The company responded initially to the backlash by stating it engages in “policy, not politics” before deciding to write the letter, according to Baltimore Business Journal.
Plank's letter does not mention Trump by name but seems to back off of his previous comments and says his words in the interview “did not accurately reflect my intent.”
“We aspire to be a force of unity, growth and optimism for our city and country,” the letter continued, the Sun reported.
Plank is a member of Trump’s advisory panel on manufacturing, which focuses on new ways to support and encourage American manufacturing.
Under Armour released a statement last week opposing Trump’s travel ban.