Liberals around the country are deleting their Uber app after a lukewarm, indecisive response from its CEO to Donald Trump’s executive order banning entry of citizens from 7 Muslim countries.
Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick wrote a statement on Facebook on Saturday expressing support for the Uber employees who would not be able to get back in the country but did not issue a clear denunciation of Trump. Kalanick said he will however raise the issue with Trump when he meets him as part of his role on Trump’s economic advisory council along with Elon Musk.
“I understand that many people internally and externally may not agree with that decision, and that’s OK,” he wrote. “It’s the magic of living in America that people are free to disagree. But whatever your view please know that I’ve always believed in principled confrontation and just change; and have never shied away (maybe to my detriment) from fighting for what’s right.”
Many were angry with Kalanick’s statement especially in light of Saturday nights airport protest. At JFK Airport in New York City, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance stopped taking pickups at the airport to protest the Muslim ban. Uber continued taking fares and some accused them of “profiteering” off the protest.
Liberals started the hashtag “DeleteUber” vowing to delete the Uber app and discontinue using the service in protest. Some were mad that Uber was still taking fares at JFK, others were mad at the noncommittal response on Facebook, but most were angry with the fact Kalanick has not stepped down from Trump’s economic advisory council.
Uber’s main competitor Lyft took advantage of the situation and pledged to donate $1 million to the ACLU.
Now Uber is pledging $3 million for a travel ban defense fund in order to help pay legal expenses for those struggling to get back into the country.