Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday he was ordering the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw incentives for Nike building a manufacturing plant in the state.
Ducey made the announcement in a series of tweets after The Wall Street Journal reported that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick urged Nike to nix a USA-themed sneaker, which featured a Betsy Ross flag on the heel, over slavery connotations.
“Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike,” Ducey, a Republican,tweeted. “Nike is an iconic American brand and American company. This country, our system of government and free enterprise have allowed them to prosper and flourish.
“Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism. It is a shameful retreat for the company. American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it.
“Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here. Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.
The complete story here > Arizona Gov. Ducey to pull Nike plant incentives over reported Colin Kaepernick, Betsy Ross flag flap