The Republican National Convention is already limiting booze, and if several major corporations have their way, attendees at the RNC (and the DNC) might find themselves without other typical comforts.
Major tech, banking and food-service companies are reportedly scaling back their relationship with the GOP, mostly because they’re afraid to be associated with Donald Trump.
Coca-Cola and Microsoft are the latest big companies to decide to limit their contributions this year compared to years past. Coca-Cola was the subject of a petition calling on the brand to divest from the RNC over Trump’s “hateful and racist rhetoric.” In response, Coca-Cola announced that it would be donating only $75,000 to convention operations—a far cry from the $600,000 it contributed in 2012.
Microsoft contributed more than $1 million in both cash and “in-kind” donations (mostly tech and tech support for attendees) in 2012. This year, it will be lending some of its technology to convention organizers, but won’t be cutting any checks.
Walmart and Google have also reportedly considered pulling out of the RNC, but Google has, at least for now, committed to being the RNC’s live-stream partner. Walmart says it hasn’t yet made up its mind, which is odd, considering that the convention is less than a month away.
Late Friday, Apple, which had sponsored previous conventions, announced that it would not donate technology or give financial support to the GOP’s event in Cleveland in light of Trump’s presumptive nomination. Apple cited Trump’s rhetoric, but they also have a personal reason for avoiding Trump’s gaze: the Republican nominee declared war on Apple before he locked down the nomination, calling on his supporters to boycott the tech company when they refused to unlock the iPhone of the shooter in the San Bernardino attack last year.
A series of top-shelf corporations followed Apple’s lead. Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, and Ford Motor Company won’t be in Cleveland, even though they were in Tampa in 2012. Motorola has also declined support, leaving convention attendees to struggle with AT&T as the lone communications provider in Cleveland.
Most of the companies wouldn’t comment publicly about why they couldn’t manage a company trip to the RNC, but top Republicans are pretty sure they know why they’re getting the cold shoulder. “It’s a question of balancing the desire to be present at this convention versus brand association with one figure who is so polarizing,” one Republican strategist told Bloomberg.
The exodus has made the RNC’s Cleveland team a bit nervous. To put on the convention, the RNC needs to raise $64 million or risk going millions into debt. So far, they’ve collected only about $40 million towards that goal. They have other commitments, they say, but they’re coming down to the wire.
There might be a silver lining, however. Because Republicans have nominated Trump, Democrats might also feel the pinch, as absences are likely to be equal opportunity. Corporate sponsors often don’t play favorites, and prefer to give to both conventions or no convention at all. If they pull out of one, the RNC, they’ll probably skip Philadelphia’s Democratic event, too.
Target and Time Warner have already said they won’t attend either convention. Wells Fargo will donate to the DNC, but only because the event is being held at the Wells Fargo Center and they feel obligated.
The DNC is further in the hole for their convention, as well. Just one hundred days out from the event, and they’ve raised only half of the $80 million they need to finish the job.
