Under Armour Under Fire After CEO Kevin Plank Makes Pro-Trump Statement

At least one pro athlete questioned his allegiance to Under Armour this week after the CEO of the athletic wear company spoke positively about President Donald Trump on television. Within a day, Under Armour issued a statement affirming its commitment to social inclusivity, after backlash from CEO Kevin Plank's interview on CNBC's Fast Money Halftime Report show.

"To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country," Plank said in an interview on CNBC. "People can really grab that opportunity."

Responding to Plank's comments, NBA star Stephen Curry said he did not agree with the description of Trump as a "real asset" and told The Mercury News that "being a man of faith and a man that understands how to treat human beings, and that being the focus of everything I do, it was surprising."

Currently, Curry has a footwear line with Under Armour and is under contract with the company until 2024.

After expressing his discontent, the Golden State Warriors player reportedly heard from Under Armour, including a personal call from Plank; following discussions, he said he concluded that the words of the CEO surrounded business rather than social issues. He told The Mercury News, a paper based in San Jose, California, that Plank "said he has to try to continue to promote change even if it means being a part of that council..."

Plank, who founded Baltimore-based Under Armour, was selected to advise the president as part of the American Manufacturing Council. The group convened for the first time at the end of January, and Plank joined leaders from major companies such as Boeing, Campbell Soup, Dow Chemical, Ford, GE and Whirlpool to discuss growing the country's manufacturing base, particularly focusing on "how best to promote job growth and get Americans back to work again," according to the White House.

About Trump, Plank said: "...there's a lot that I respect there," stating on CNBC he admired that "he wants to build things" and "make bold decisions."

Making a decision to go on the defense after Plank's pro-Trump comments, Under Armour — which recently signed a contract with Major League Baseball — issued a statement Wednesday letting customers know it had not deviated from its mission of providing performance-based athletic wear for a variety of people.

"We have teammates from different religions, races, nationalities, genders and sexual orientations; different ages, life experiences and opinions," Under Armour said in a statement. "This is the core of our company. At Under Armour, our diversity is our strength, and we will continue to advocate for policies that Protect Our House, our business, our team and our community."

Full statement from Plank on President Donald Trump, courtesy of CNBC:

"I think he's highly passionate. To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country. People can really grab that opportunity. He loves to build I don't think there's any surprises here. When you look at the president he wants to build things. He wants to build things he wants to make bold decisions and be really decisive. I'm a big fan of people that operate in the world of publish and iterate versus think, think, think, think, think. So there's a lot that I respect there."

Full statement from Under Armour on Feb. 8, 2017:

UNDER ARMOUR STATEMENT - PROTECT OUR HOUSE

At Under Armour, our culture has always been about optimism, teamwork, and unity. We have engaged with both the prior and the current administrations in advocating on business issues that we believe are in the best interests of our consumers, teammates, and shareholders. Kevin Plank was recently invited at the request of the President of the United States to join the American Manufacturing Council as part of a distinguished group of business leaders. He joined CEOs from companies such as Dow Chemical, Dell, Ford, GE and Tesla, among others to begin an important dialogue around creating jobs in America. We believe it is important for Under Armour to be a part of that discussion.

We have always been committed to developing innovative ways to support and invest in American jobs and manufacturing. For years, Under Armour has had a long-term strategy for domestic manufacturing and we recently launched our first women’s collection made in our hometown of Baltimore, MD. We are incredibly proud of this important first step in the evolution of creating more jobs at home.

We engage in policy, not politics. We believe in advocating for fair trade, an inclusive immigration policy that welcomes the best and the brightest and those seeking opportunity in the great tradition of our country, and tax reform that drives hiring to help create new jobs globally, across America and in Baltimore.
We have teammates from different religions, races, nationalities, genders and sexual orientations; different ages, life experiences and opinions. This is the core of our company. At Under Armour, our diversity is our strength, and we will continue to advocate for policies that Protect Our House, our business, our team, and our community.

Photo of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank by Dcavalli via Wikimedia Commons, under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.