USAA touches off Twitter firestorm after yanking Hannity ads

A tweet targets S.A.-based USAA for canceling advertising on the conservative Sean Hannity Fox News show. The company is getting blowback from conservatives on social media over its decision to yank advertising from the show this week. Hundreds of people have taken to social media to express their displeasure with the decision and some are calling for a boycott. less A tweet targets S.A.-based USAA for canceling advertising on the conservative Sean Hannity Fox News show. The company is getting blowback from conservatives on social media over its decision to yank advertising ... more Photo: Courtesy Image Photo: Courtesy Image Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close USAA touches off Twitter firestorm after yanking Hannity ads 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

San Antonio-based USAA touched off a firestorm on Twitter and Facebook this week after the financial services company was named on a list of TV host Sean Hannity’s advertisers and then, under public pressure, decided to pull its ads.

USAA and other companies were criticized after Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, released a list of advertisers with the conservative Fox News talk show host. But USAA’s Twitter feeds exploded after the company told followers Wednesday night that it would no longer advertise on the show.

Hannity supporters are now calling on customers to drop USAA, using the hashtag #BoycottUSAA on Twitter to express their displeasure. The company was founded by a group of Army officers in 1922 and serves about 12 million members across the world.

The controversy started after USAA responded to a request on Twitter to stop advertising on Hannity’s show from @kathydettmer at 5:14 p.m. Central time Wednesday: “Thanks for sharing your concern Kathy. Advertising on opinion shows is not in accordance with our policy and we’ve since corrected it.”

USAA was among a handful of companies that pulled its advertising from Hannity’s program after he was criticized for promoting a widely discredited theory over the murder of a former Democratic National Committee staffer.

That unleashed a torrent of anger from Hannity supporters and some USAA members on the company’s customer service and official Twitter accounts, @USAA_help and @USAA, as well as on its Facebook page.

“USAA betrayed @seanhannity @POTUS #Trump supporters and #veterans Please Google ‘review websites’ & then leave reviews! #BoycottUSAA #MAGA,” @Lazulu_OFFICIAL tweeted, referencing President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan Make America Great Again.

“Does @USAA_help @USAA care about your opinion when they're taking your money? I think not. It's a stupid business decision to get political,” wrote @JamesKentjr on Twitter Friday morning.

Conservative political commentator Laura Ingraham tweeted her support for Hannity to her 1.47 million followers: “The @USAA dropping @hannity is shameful--esp after all he has done for our troops. #IStandWithHannity .”

On Facebook, USAA member Kevin Siffermann posted a video of himself cutting up a USAA Visa credit card with a pair of scissors. “Bye, bye, USAA,” he said in the video. He said he called USAA and was told it had to hire outside help to field all the complaints it’s been getting.

USAA spokesman Roger Wildermuth on Thursday said the company didn’t pull ads because of outside pressure relating to the criticism.

“It is our policy to not advertise on any opinion-based programming,” Wildermuth said in an email, reiterating the company’s tweets. “There was an error which led to our ads running during some opinion-based programs, and as soon as that was discovered, the error was corrected.”

Whether USAA has pulled ads from other opinion-based shows couldn’t immediately be determined. Wildermuth did not have new comments on Friday.

Brent Bozell, president of Media Research Center, a right-leaning media watchdog group, blasted USAA as “dishonest” and their spokesmen as “terrible liars” on Thursday because it is still advertising on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews on Thursday.

“We have several other examples of USAA advertising on left-wing shows that would clearly violate their stated ‘policy,’” Bozell said in a statement. “USAA's customers — so many of them veterans who have no greater champion than Sean Hannity — have every right to be outraged. USAA owes them specifically, and the public at large an explanation. This duplicity is obnoxious and shameful.”

Other companies that stopped advertising with Hannity were automotive classified site Cars.com; mattress maker Leesa Sleep; the exercise company Peloton; and Crowne Plaza Hotels, according to media reports.

pdanner@express-news.net