Politics - News Analysis BOYCOTT TRUMP: Here Are The Companies Supporting Trump’s 2020 Campaign

The 2020 presidential election is less than a year away and before you know we will all be heading for the voting booth.

In 2020, we cannot have a repeat of what happened in 2016…Donald Trump. So it’s important to be a savvy consumer and know whether a company you are supporting is also supporting the re-election of Trump.

If you aren’t familiar with how campaign fundraising works, politicians must disclose how much individuals donated money to their campaign when it’s over $200. Political Action Committees (PACs) also raise and spend money on elections, but there are limits to how much they can take in and spend, according to CBS. All these donations are released to the Federal Election Commission for the public and continuously updated throughout the campaign cycle.

According to the Federal Election Commission, Trump has already received $43,814,715.72 in contributions for his re-election campaign and also notoriously funds his own campaign being a billionaire. As the incumbent candidate, Trump has a leg up since donors can only give a certain amount during a candidate’s election cycle, BUT they can give as much as $710,000 to political parties, a.k.a. the Republican party!

Here are some of the largest companies that support Trump’s re-election:

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1. Bang Energy

Bang Energy Drinks have become very popular in the last year, sharing shelves with RedBull, Rockstar, and Monster. The rise in popularity is mostly due to its extreme caffeine content of 300 mg of caffeine and zero carbs and sugar, making it “healthier” than the alternatives. The Bang Energy brand is manufactured by Vital Pharmaceuticals, and the CEO is Jack Owoc, who is a proud supporter of President Donald Trump and buddies with Donald Trump Jr. In March of 2019, the company donated $250,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC.

PSA: Every can of @BangEnergyDrink, the beverage that's heavily promoted in sponsored posts by Instagram influencers, helps Trump get re-elected Vital Pharmaceuticals, Bang's parent company, just donated $250,000 to the official pro-Trump Super PAChttps://t.co/iZfPj1gG5c — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 1, 2019

2. Taco Bell

Known for staying open late, and tons of food options for late-night cravings, Taco Bell makes no effort in hiding the fact that they support Republicans and President Trump. Many of the franchise owners and supporters of Taco Bells created TACO PAC, a political action committee that donates to republicans in order to ease regulation and maintain steady profits. TACO PAC has donated more than $50,000 to Republicans and $5,000 to Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.

3. Facebook

Peter Theil, the successful tech billionaire who spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in support of then-candidate Donald Trump, is an early investor and prominent board member of Facebook. Theil is also an investor in Spotify, Lyft, AirBNB. The Trump Administration and ICE uses Theil’s warfare tech company Palintir for surveillance of undocumented immigrants. In 2018 Theil donated $250,000 to Trumps re-election campaign, making him Trump’s 7th largest donor.

4. The Home Depot

It’s now time to start shopping at Lowes or a home-improvement store other than The Home Depot. Bernie Marcus and Ken Langone, the co-founders of the company have both made sizeable donation to Trump. Bernie Marcus donated over $7 million to multiple super PACs that seek to re-elect Trump in 2020. He even donated $100,000 to the Trump Inaugural Committee alone.

Donald Trump has even publicly thanked Marcus on Twitter:

A truly great, patriotic & charitable man, Bernie Marcus, the co-founder of Home Depot who, at the age of 90, is coming under attack by the Radical Left Democrats with one of their often used weapons. They don’t want people to shop at those GREAT stores because he contributed…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2019

….to your favorite President, me! These people are vicious and totally crazed, but remember, there are far more great people (“Deplorables”) in this country, than bad. Do to them what they do to you. Fight for Bernie Marcus and Home Depot! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2019

5. Marvel Entertainment

The Marvel movies have been making billions at the box office in the recent years, and that money has made the Marvel Entertainment Board members and Shareholders very wealthy. The Chair of Marvel Entertainment, Isaac Perlmutter, donated more than $350,000 to the Trump Victory Committee after the 2016 election.

6. New Balance

There are dozens of shoe companies that can easily compete with New Balance, both with comfort and style. The chairman of New Balance, Billionaire Jim Davis, donated roughly $400,000 to the Trump Victory Committee. New Balance knew that supporting Trump publicly would cause backlash, so the Chairman donated quietly to the Victory fund.

7. Wendy’s

Wendy’s is commonly known as a decent fast-food joint, serving food with a little bit more quality than its competitors. Unfortunately, Wendy’s is partially owned by the hedge fund Trian Partners. The CEO of Trian Partners is billionaire Nelson Peltz, who owns a Palm Beach home worth more than $100 million and neighbors Trump’s properties. Peltz personally gave $85,000 to Donald Trump in 2016 and 2017.

8. In-N-Out

The COO of In-N-Out Mark Taylor, and his wife Traci Taylor, have personally donated the maximum individual donations to President Trump and the Republican Party since 2016. Mark and Traci Taylor have continued to donate to Trump and the GOP in the years following the 2016 election.

9. Revlon

In the ever-expanding makeup industry, Revlon is always trying to stay at the top of the market. Revlon is owned by the private equity firm MacAndrews & Forbes Inc., and the CEO and Chairman of the firm is Billionaire Ronald Perelman. Perelman’s daughter is the CEO of Revlon. He donated $8,000 to President Trump’s re-election campaign, and over $100,000 to pro-Trump super PACs.

10. Versace

Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman is a very close friend and ally of President Donald Trump, the two met while in college. Not only does Schwarzman own 20% of Versace, but he is also the CEO and Chairman of The Blackstone Group, a private equity firm that funds hundreds of companies. Schwarzman even served in the first year of the Trump Administration as an advisor. He has donated more than $325,000 to the Trump Victory Committee.

11. CVS

According to a February 2018 report in the Wall Street Journal, the national pharmacy chain donated to $35,000 to the Trump Victory PAC and is one of the Trump reelection campaign’s biggest corporate donors.

12. Estee Lauder

According to the Federal Election Commission, long-standing cosmetics company Estée Lauder’s heir Ronald Lauder gave a whopping $100,000 to the Trump Victory PAC. That really makes you think twice before buying that overpriced makeup.

13. Planet Fitness

According to disclosures from the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission, Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau gave over $1,200 to Trump’s election campaign in two installments: one in February 2016 and the second in July 2016. The latter donation was made the same month that Trump was named the GOP nominee — and also urged Russia to hack into Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton’s emails.

Although he has not yet given to Trump’s 2020 bid, Rondeau also donated to the 2018 Congressional campaign of former New Hampshire State Senator Andy Sanborn, one of the body’s most staunchly conservative members.