Two major U.S. retailers have contested claims by the head of a pillow company that they abandoned the brand because of their open support for Donald Trump, saying the decisions were not driven by politics, but by weak demand for the products.
In a series of interviews, Mike Lindell, who runs Minnesota-based MyPillow, accused some of the nation’s largest chains, including Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s, of giving in to pressure from leftist activists because of his support for the president of the United States. USA.
“They are scared,” he told the Right Side Broadcasting Network.
However, two of the retailers named by Lindell said on Tuesday that they were removing products from the private company because of weak sales.
“There has been a reduction in customer demand for MyPillow,” said Kohl’s department store chain. Bed Bath & Beyond said: “We have rationalized our assortment to discontinue a number of underperforming items and brands. This includes the MyPillow product line. “
The dispute, on Trump’s last full day in office, illustrates the difficulties facing corporate America on how to deal with the country’s increasingly divisive politics.
Lindell has been among the most expressive business leaders for months in support of Trump for months, and repeated his baseless allegations of widespread electoral fraud in the November elections. In contrast to other Trump supporters who distanced themselves after the attack on the United States Capitol this month, the businessman continued to support the president’s calls to reverse the results.
Since the attack on the Capitol, executives across corporate America have been eager to avoid supporting a president accused of undermining the rule of law. However, they are also at risk of a reaction from the right.
Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump adviser, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: “If you’re a Patriot, how about never buying anything from Kohl’s or Bed Bath & Beyond until they stock Mike Lindell’s MyPillow products again.”
Lindell said online furniture retailer Wayfar and Texas supermarket chain HEB are also dismissing MyPillow. None of them responded to a request for comment.