Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday that he doesn’t think a boycott against Target’s LGBTQ kid-friendly clothing will be as effective as the devastating efforts launched against Bud Light.
The Republican explained that Target is more unique and not as easily as replaceable as Anheuser Busch brands, which specialize in light lagers.
“What really came to bite Bud Light is that wasn’t a hard boycott. It’s difficult for nobody on planet Earth, if you are going to order a Bud Light, to say, ‘I’ll have a Coors Light.’ That’s a very simple substitution. I’m not sure many people could go through a blind taste test and tell the difference,” the conservative said on his “Verdict with Ted Cruz” podcast.
Target itself — which suffered intense outrage after rolling out a collection that features “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits and rainbow-colored onesies for infants — feared becoming the latest conservative ire and rushed to hide the merchandise in order to avoid a “Bud Light situation.”
Despite moving the “PRIDE” wares away from the front of the store, the mega-retailer suffered a $9 billion market loss in just one week thanks to boycotts across the country.
Cruz applauded other conservatives for their quick response but appeared skeptical that the boycott could be sustained.
He compared Target to Disney, which suffered backlash after speaking out against Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law last year, but continues to be a financial giant.
“You can be annoyed at Disney but if your kids really want to go to Disney World, that can be hard to say no to. There are not a lot of alternatives. There’s Six Flags but Disney World is a pretty unique offering,” Cruz said.
“There’s only one Snow White or Cinderella or Toy Story from Pixar. That is a difficult product for many people to give up permanently.”
Additionally, the Texas politician said the efforts against Target could quickly wilt because “historically, conservatives have typically been not very good at boycotts.”
In any case, Cruz said he believes the boycott will have a substantial impact on Target.
“The fact that it was so concentrated and intense has, I think, certainly made a real impression on the Target executives, I hope, but also on the next executives … we want to stop corporate America from going woke,” he said, adding that the $9 billion drop in weekly revenue is an example of the consequences for doing so.
“That’s a good thing for those of us that would like companies just to get back to selling their damn products and keep their idiotic politics out of our lives.”
