Critics on Twitter told Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to review his priorities after he vowed to stop buying products from Nike.
Cruz on Tuesday joined a wave of conservative anger against the sports apparel company after it announced it would stop selling its new Air Max 1 USA sneakers, which featured the 13-star “Betsy Ross flag.”
Nike reportedly nixed its celebratory Fourth of July shoes after former NFL player Colin Kaepernick pointed out the flag’s association with slavery. It has also been co-opted by white nationalists.
“Yep, I own lots of Nike I’ve been a life-long customer, since I was a kid,” Cruz wrote in a tweet. “But they’ve now decided their shoes represent snide disdain for the American flag.”
“Since they don’t want my business anymore, I won’t buy anymore,” he added. “Can anyone recommend a good sneaker co that’s not so woke?”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham has also vowed to boycott Nike over the issue.
In a second post, Cruz said he respected free speech and “I’m exerting mine.”
“Until Nike ends its contempt for those values, I WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE NIKE PRODUCTS,” he added.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) sarcastically responded that it was “brave” of Cruz “to stand up to a pair of shoes” and criticized him for not standing up to President Donald Trump.
Other people on Twitter chastised Cruz for not focusing on the migrant detention crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border, called him out on his use of the term “woke,” and suggested other sneakers he may prefer: