Bend’s Goodyear store owners react to President Trump’s boycott call
(Update: Adding video and more comments, info)
Steve Breedlove says his store has received several calls from upset people
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- President Trump's words have far-reaching impact, Steve Breedlove, the owner of Bend's Goodyear store, told NewsChannel 21 on Thursday.
The president has called for a boycott of Goodyear's products, claiming the company banned MAGA hats in the workplace.
Breedlove owns a franchise store in Bend and said none of his employees wear any type of political attire.
“We don’t encourage our employees to wear or to promote any of their political stances,” Breedlove said.
An image first posted by WIBW in Topeka, Kansas shared by a Goodyear employee, shows a supposed list of acceptable and unacceptable messages employees are allowed to wear. Black Lives Matter is on the acceptable side while Blue Lives Matter and MAGA attire is on the unacceptable side.
Goodyear corporate has since said the photo was not created by or distributed by its corporate office.
Ezra Brumbach, another owner at Bend’s Goodyear, said that image caught the attention of local law enforcement.
“I work with the law enforcement here on tires, selling them tires, they run our tires,” Brumbach said. “So that was hard for them. I was getting a phone call first thing in the morning, saying, 'Hey, what’s going on here?'"
Breedlove added that while his business had received calls from people who plan to boycott the store, he is not afraid of losing business.
“We are here for the customer, you know," he said. "Our No. 1 goal is to take care of our customers.”