Olive Garden, the Italian American chain restaurant, was forced to defend itself against potential customer boycotts after a Twitter user claimed the company was funding President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
“Olive Garden is funding Trump’s re-election in 2020. It would be terrible if you shared this and Olive Garden lost business,” Dennese Edgerton, a self-described member of the “Resistance,” tweeted out Sunday.
“We don’t know where this information came from, but it is incorrect. Our company does not donate to presidential candidates,” Olive Garden tweeted from their official account, repeating the statement to many other Twitter users who shared the claim.
The claim against Olive Garden comes after a California college student earlier this month tried to claim a dozen fast food chains were behind Trump’s reelection campaign. The claims were then reshared by model Christine Teigen before they resurfaced Sunday. When questioned about the validity of his tweet, the student linked articles to the website OpenSecrets.org, which breaks to contributions by corporations to political causes and campaigns.
So here’s a list of companies supporting Trump’s re-election:
– Bang
– inn n out
– chick fil a
– Taco Bell
– McDonald’s
– Wendy’s
– KFC
– Pizza Hut
– Olive Garden
– Waffle House
– IHOP
– Carl’s Jr.So if you see me starting to get thinner and toned don’t ask me why.
— Costa (@BillyBobSanderz) August 8, 2019
According to OpenSecrets.org, those affiliated with Darden, the parent company of Olive Garden, have only donated $1,492 this election cycle with $0 going to Republicans. Similarly, those affiliated with Olive Garden only gave $559 in the 2018 cycle with 74% of that money going to Democrats and only $100 going to Republicans.
Despite this, #BoycottOliveGarden trended on Twitter with scores of people discussing a potential boycott of Olive Garden over their alleged support of Trump.
When you’re here, you’re cancelled.#BoycottOliveGarden
— Charlotte Clymer?️? (@cmclymer) August 26, 2019
Olive Garden is supporting Trump’s bigotry, climate change denial, deregulation, tax cuts for the top 1%.
It’s okay for rich & corporations to get Gov assistance, meanwhile the average worker never had help from the Gov cuz of this corruption. This must stop. #BoycottOliveGarden pic.twitter.com/1HNT9tryMd
— Joe Negan (@mynameisNegan) August 26, 2019
Dammit. I love the zuppa toscana and shrimp fritta at @olivegarden.
O well.
I love democracy more.
Goodbye, Olive Garden. #BoycottOliveGarden
— Jane Black (@AmethystMimosa) August 25, 2019
@olivegarden Because @olivegarden is a major contributor to the reelection campaign of aspiring dictator @realDonaldTrump I will no longer be patronizing your restaurants. #BoycottOliveGarden
— Michael Lassell (@MichaelLassell) August 19, 2019
Have never been there but good to know!#BoycottOliveGarden
— Billie (@BillieO2) August 25, 2019
Earlier this month, Stephen Ross, the owner of Equinox and SoulCycle, faced backlash after it was revealed he was hosting a fundraiser for Trump. ABC’s The View host Sunny Hostin and filmmaker Michael Moore both said they were boycotting the company over Ross’s support of Trump.
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UPDATE: Edgerton deleted the tweet and claimed she was hacked by Trump supporters.
WARNING! MY ACCOUNT WAS HACKED AND I’M BEING ATTACKED BY MAGAS ON TWITTER, IN MY WORK EMAIL, AND OFFICE PHONE. NOW I’M ATTACKED ON THE MEDIA!
— TheEdgeStays (@LilleyDennese) August 26, 2019
MAGAS are not going to win here. I will not be shut down or leave because you find me dangerous. Hacking my account created threats against my person and my job.The Edge Stays. Dear followers, please spread the word about my being hacked.
— TheEdgeStays (@LilleyDennese) August 26, 2019
