2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro applauded Nike for not selling shoes that featured the Betsy Ross American flag.
The company pulled the new design after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick said he and other considered the flag to be offensive since it marked an era when slavery existed in the United States. The shoes were originally set to be sold just before the Fourth of July.
“Yeah. Well, you know, I was glad to see that and my hope is that that they didn’t just do it to do it, that they understand the significance there. And look there are a lot of things in our history that are still very painful,” Castro told CBS News on Wednesday.
“The Confederate flag that still flies in some places and is used as a symbol, and I believe that we need to move toward an inclusive America that understands that pain, that doesn’t wipe it away from history in the sense that still belongs in a museum or we need to read about it and understand the significance because that’s how you learn and make sure that we don’t make the same mistakes in the future, but does not glorify it, does not celebrated it,” he continued.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said if Nike decides to sell the shoes, then he’ll buy a pair. He added, “So if we’re in a political environment where the American flag has become controversial to Americans, I think we have a problem.”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced his state will no longer offer financial incentives for the company after they were supposed to make an investment in the area. In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom invited Nike to move to his state.
