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Two major US retailers have countered claims by the head of a pillow company that they had abandoned the brand because of his open support for Donald Trump, saying the decisions were not driven by politics but by a weak demand for products.
In a series of interviews, Mike Lindell, who runs Minnesota-based MyPillow, accused some of the country’s biggest chains, including Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s, of giving in to pressure from left-wing activists over his support for the outgoing US president.
“They are afraid,” he told the Right Side Broadcasting Network.
However, two of the retailers Mr Lindell named said on Tuesday they were phasing out the private company’s products due to weak sales.
“Customer demand for MyPillow has declined,” department store chain Kohl’s said. Bed Bath & Beyond said, “We have streamlined our assortment to move away from a number of underperforming items and brands. This includes the MyPillow product line. “
The dispute, on Mr. Trump’s last full day in office, illustrates the difficulties facing U.S. businesses over how to handle the country’s increasingly confrontational politics.
Mr Lindell was for months one of the loudest business leaders in his support for Mr Trump and reiterated his unsubstantiated accusations of widespread voter fraud in the November election. Unlike other Trump supporters who distanced themselves after the attack on the U.S. Capitol this month, the entrepreneur continued to support the president’s calls to reverse the results.
Since the assault on Capitol Hill, executives of all American companies have been eager to avoid backing a president accused of undermining the rule of law. Yet they also risk a backlash from the right.
Sebastian Gorka, a former aide to Mr. Trump, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: “If you’re a patriot, how about never buying anything from Kohl’s or Bed Bath & Beyond until they are re-stocking Mike Lindell’s MyPillow products. “
Mr Lindell said online furniture retailer Wayfar and Texas grocery chain HEB are also dropping MyPillow. Neither responded to a request for comment.
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