NEIL: HOW IS THIS FOR A LITTLE
BIT OF PRESSURE?
EQUINOX AND SOULCYCLE FACING
BOYCOTT OVER INVESTOR STEVE
ROSS'S TIES TO PRESIDENT TRUMP
DOING A FUND-RAISER THIS
WEEKEND.
PATRICE LEE ONWUKA, WE HAVE
DAVID BURN STEEN AND
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER GEM MA
ELLIS REEVES.
I GENERALLY THINK BOYCOTTS ARE
RISKY FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT.
I LOVE BEN & JERRY'S.
IT WOULD HAVE BE TO A CRANE TO
CLAW ME AWAY FROM CHUNKY MONKEY,
STOP BUYING THEIR PRODUCT, NO
MATTER WHO THEY ARE GIVING MONEY
TO.
ENOUGH ALREADY.
>> ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT
SOULCYCLE HAVING A PASSIVE
INVESTOR, PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO
BOYCOTT.
THIS IS A FREE COUNTRY.
WE ALL HAVE POLITICAL BELIEFS.
WE CAN SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE.
WE'LL BOYCOTT YOUR PRODUCT
BECAUSE YOU SUPPORT A
PARTICULARLY PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
RIDICULOUS.
I'M A CONSERVATIVE GOES TO
STARBUCKS.
PEOPLE TOLD ME FOR YEARS YOU
NEED TO BOYCOTT --
NEIL: RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A
CONUNDRUM.
>> THAT IS WHAT MY HUSBAND SAYS.
JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN
THINGS THAT WORTH STANDING UP
FOR BUT THIS I DON'T THINK IS
ONE OF THEM BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN
THAT BOYCOTTS WORK.
LOOK AT EFFECT OF CHICK-FIL-A.
WHEN THE LEFT WAS CALLING FOR
BOYCOTT, THAT THEN HAD THE
SUPPORTERS GOING IN, WE'RE GOING
TO SUPPORT THIS COMPANY BECAUSE
WE BELIEVE IN THEIR VALUES.
BUT IN THIS COUNTRY EVERYONE CAN
STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE
IN AND THEY CAN HAVE THEIR
MESSAGE AND SO PEOPLE WANT TO
BOYCOTT, THAT'S FINE.
DO I THINK IT IS EFFECTIVE?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BUT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO
SUPPORT THEIR POLITICAL
CANDIDATES.
I THINK ESPECIALLY THE
DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT
SOULCYCLE SAID IN THEIR
STATEMENT, WE DON'T CONDONE
THIS, WE'RE NOT HOLDING THIS
EVENT.
FOR PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT THEM ONE
OF THEIR PASSIVE INVESTORS IS
SUPPORTING PRESIDENT TRUMP --
NEIL: HE IS THE HEAD GUY.
HE DOESN'T SPEAK FOR THE
COMPANY.
>> EXACTLY.
NEIL: HAVING SAID THAT, DAVID,
I'M WORRIED ABOUT, MAYBE YOU
ARE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT IS BIG ON
INCLUSION, BIG ON BEING OPEN TO
ALL POINTS OF VIEW, IDEAS,
DOESN'T THIS SMACK OF HIP
PROCTOR & GAMBLE CHRISSIE?
>> IT IS PROBLEMATIC, YOU'RE
EITHER FOR EVERYONE SPEAKING
VALUES OR FOR A CERTAIN SET OF
VALUES, RIGHT?
I THINK THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT,
YOU KNOW, AND IN PARTICULAR CASE
EQUINOX AND SOULCYCLE ARE KNOWN
FOR, THEY HAVE A LOT OF LGBTQ
MEMBERS, THEY HAVE A LOT OF
AFFINITY AND SPONSOR OF PRIDE.
INSULTS TO THEM BECAUSE IT
REPRESENTS A GOOD PART OF THEIR
BASE.
THEY HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
EVERYBODY HAS TO DO DAMAGE
CONTROL ON EVERYTHING.
I HOPE THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES DON'T GET INVOLVE IN
THIS.
THIS SEEMS TO BE A FINE THING
FOR PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE
THIS IS ISSUE THAT WILL STAY
HERE, WE WON'T BE TALKING ABOUT
THIS BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
NEIL: SURE WE WILL.
PATRICE, HELP ME WITH THIS.
I HAVE SEEN IT IN MY PROFESSION
CERTAIN HOSTS ARE BOYCOTTED OR
NO ONE IS GOING TO WATCH THEIR
SHOW, URGE VIEWERS TO BOYCOTT
PRODUCTS ADVERTISED ON THE SHOW.
I HAVE SEEN IT ON THE RIGHT, ON
THE LEFT.
YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN.
LIFE IS SHORT.
STOP IT.
BUT THE OTHER ISSUE IS, IF YOU
DON'T WANT TO WATCH THAT
PARTICULAR PERSONALITY, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A
REMOTE CONTROL, MOVE ON.
BUT I DO THINK IT IS GOING TO
PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO
COMPANIES IN GENERAL FOR FEAR OF
OFFENDING ANYONE ON THE RIGHT,
FOR FEAR OF OFFENDING ANYONE ON
THE LEFT, JUST TO CATER TO
WHATEVER THE PREVAILING VIEW IS
AT THE TIME AND I THINK THAT IS
SLIPPERY SLOPE.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> I WILL COUNTER, JENNA MADE.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT COULD BE
DAMAGING IF PEOPLE ACTUALLY
BELIEVE IT.
LOOK AT IVANKA TRUMP BRAND.
SHE HAD A LOYAL STRONG
FOLLOWING, LOYAL STRONG BRAND.
THAT HAS ALL BUT DISAPPEARED.
THE LEFT TURNED OUT THE MACHINE
AGAINST HER CLOSING COMPANY AS
SOON AS HER FATHER BECAME
PRESIDENT.
I DON'T THINK THIS WILL HAVE
EFFECT ON SOULCYCLE, BASICALLY
WITH COMPANIES LIKE PELOTON.
THEY ARE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH
DAMAGE AS POSSIBLE TO INSURE
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
YES, IT COULD BECOME A SLIPPERY
SLOPE EVERY COMPANY IS SCARED
LIKE SOMEBODY LIKE CHRISSY
TEIGEN SURE SOCIAL MEDIA PATROLS
AGAINST THEM.
NEIL: WHAT I WORRY ABOUT, GUYS,
I WAS ONE THAT USED
BEN & JERRY'S ANALOGY HERE, KIND
OF FUNNY IF YOU'RE ONE OF THESE
FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY THE
EQUINOX FITNESS AND YOU'RE
EATING BEN & JERRY'S ICE CREAM
WHILE YOU'RE ON IT BUT I THINK
IT GETS PAST REALITY HERE, YOU
KNOW?
EVERYONE IS FREE TO THEIR OWN
POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW, BUT
WHEN YOU EXTEND IT, I'M GOING TO
ECONOMICALLY TRY TO DESTROY THEM
BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT GETS A
LITTLE DANGEROUS.
>> THAT IS, CASTRO COMING OUT
AND DOXXING SOME OF TRUMP
DONORS, THIS IS, AND SAYING
SPECIFICALLY ON MSNBC, THAT IT
IS FOR THE INTENT SO PEOPLE
THINK TWICE BEFORE DONATING TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
NEIL: DIDN'T HE REVEAL ONE OF
HIS OWN PEOPLE.
>> HE DID, WHICH IS SUPER
IRONIC.
NEIL: I THINK THAT IS CASTRO
CALLING DAVID RIGHT NOW.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT,
DAVID?
DOES IT GO TOO FAR?
>> I THINK THE OTHER THING THE
COMPANIES HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
STAND UP.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF
CITIZENS IN THIS, ALSO I THINK A
LOT OF COMPANIES HAVE BEEN VERY
QUICK TO CAVE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD FIND THEIR
BUSINESS IS JUST FINE.
I'M A MEMBER OF EQUINOX.
IT HAS A VERY LOYAL --
NEIL: I'VE SEEN YOU.
>> IT HAS A LOYAL FOLLOWING.
SO DOES SOULCYCLE, THEY WILL NOT
BE DESTROYED BY SOMETHING LIKE
THIS.
NEIL: I DON'T KNOW.
IN THIS CITY --
>> THAT IS SO BAD, WHEN WE HAVE
A CULTURE THAT IS SAYING WE'RE
GOING TO PUNISH YOU FOR YOUR
POLITICAL BELIEFS AND TRY TO
SILENCE YOU, WHAT CASTRO IS
DOING.
THAT IS NOT AMERICA.
>> WE'VE ALSO DONE A LOT TO
DIVIDE THESE THINGS.
WHOLE FOODS IN THE LAST ELECTION
CYCLE.
WHOLE FOODS IS FOR DEMOCRATS AND
OTHER SUPERMARKETS ARE FOR
REPUBLICANS.
NEIL: THAT IS ACCURATE.
>> BUT, THERE HAS BEEN A PUSH,
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, MORE AND
MORE COMPANIES ARE FOCUSED BEING
VALUES ALIGNED.
THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
BUT THEY HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT
WHAT THOSE VALUES ARE.
NEIL: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND GUY
RUNS -- I CAN UNDERSTAND EASILY
GET BLURRED.
PATRICE, WHERE IS THIS GOING?
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FREE TO
SUPPORT POLITICALLY ANYONE YOU
WANT.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HIGHER
BURDEN FOR SOMEONE WHO RUN AS
COMPANY, PASSIVE BILLIONAIRE
INVESTOR IN THAT COMPANY, BUT, I
DO THINK THAT WE HAVE TO DIAL IT
BACK A LITTLE BIT?
>> IT COULD HAVE A CHILLING
EFFECT ON A LOT OF FOUNDERS WHO
WILL SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?
A LOT MAY BE CONSERVATIVE.
TAX POLICIES THAT REDUCE TAXES,
THAT DEREGULATE, THAT MAKE IT
POSSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO
BE CONDUCIVE TO BUSINESS IS HOW
I WAS ABLE TO CREATE THIS.
THEY WILL MAYBE, POTENTIALLY
STEP BACK FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM
SUPPORTING CANDIDATES OR
POLITICIANS AND LAWMAKERS WHO
CREATE PRO-BUSINESS POLICIES AND
THAT WOULD BE DEVASTATING.
>> HONESTLY, NEIL I THINK IT
WOULD BE HURTFUL.
I THINK, AS CONSUMERS WE HAVE
GOT TO BE CAREFUL, PARSE WHEN
WE'RE BEING USED BY CELEBRITIES
FOR THEIR OWN LEFT-LEANING OR
RIGHT-LEANING FRANKLY,
POLITICAL, CAUSES.
VERSUS REALLY UNDERSTANDING
WHETHER YOU KNOW, A FOUNDER AND
A COMPANY ARE DOING SOMETHING
THAT'S HARMFUL.
IN THIS CASE THAT IS JUST NOT
THE CASE.
NEIL: YOU WERE GOING TO SAY?
>> I THINK THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN INVESTOR, PART OF A
COMPANY, BEING FOUNDER OF THE
COMPANY OR CEO OF THE COMPANY IS
A IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.
NEIL: LIKE CHICK-FIL-A FOUNDER.
>> THERE IS BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THAT I DON'T WANT --
NEIL: CHIK-FIL-A IS DELICIOUS AS
BEN & JERRY'S.
>> BETWEEN WHAT THE COMPANY
ACTUALLY DOES VERSUS JUST THE