Toyota became a hot trend in the US, but probably not in the way it planned to. An article detailing the company's donations to Republicans who questioned Joe Biden's victory in 2020 has seriously divided people on social media.
The Japanese company has reportedly turned out to be the biggest current corporate donor behind Republicans who objected to Joe Biden's victory in certain states during the 2020 presidential election. That's according to a scoop from Axios, which cites data from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit watchdog chaired by Bill Clinton's former White House Counsel Beth Nolan.
Despite many companies re-considering their donations after the January 6 Capitol riot, Toyota gave $55,000 to 37 Republican lawmakers who voted not to certify Joe Biden's victory, according to CREW.
Toyota responded to the report by telling Axios: "We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification."
This response quickly led the company to the top trends of Twitter, with Democrats and their supporters vowing to never buy a Toyota.
"Toyota, are you FOR or AGAINST sedition?" Jon Cooper, a co-founder of 'Democratic Coalition Against Trump', wrote. "Trust me, your choice today will have long-term consequences for your reputation and your bottom line well into the future."
.@Toyota, are you FOR or AGAINST sedition? Trust me, your choice today will have long-term consequences for your reputation and your bottom line well into the future. https://t.co/mLxdcPsSyg
— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) June 28, 2021
I believe it is appropriate to judge a corporation solely based on their support for lawmakers who tried to undermine democracy. Goodbye @Toyotahttps://t.co/Ggrivfc5Hy
My first car was a Toyota Corolla in the old century. In this century, I would NEVER BUY anything made by a company which spends the most on politicians who were all in on the insurrection. I object to a company that supports election objectors.
However, on the conservative side, the revelations had the opposite effect. "This makes me like Toyota," Brigitte Gabriel, a founder of 'ACT for America', tweeted.
Toyota needs the support of conservatives!
The politically correct left cannot cancel them for donating to conservative Republicans!
— Nick Searcy, INSURRECTIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) June 28, 2021
In its response to Axios Toyota also admitted that it has re-evaluated its donation strategies: "Based on our thorough review, we decided against giving to some members who, through their statements and actions, undermine the legitimacy of our elections and institutions.”
Besides Toyota, the list of major donors composed by CREW included other big brands, such as Koch Industries, Walmart, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and tobacco company Reynolds American Inc.
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