For all of you Equinox and SoulCycle aficionados (and I know there are plenty), bad news.
Stephen Ross, chair of the company that owns the two cult-like fitness brands (as well as the Miami Dolphins) is heading up a re-election fundraiser for Donald Trump at his home, prompting an immediate backlash from the brands’ acolytes, including #BoycottEquinox and #BoycottSoulCycle hashtags on Twitter.
Said fundraiser is happening today, and USA Today reports that tickets are $100,000 to get a rubber chicken lunch and photo with Trump and $250,000 to get in on a “roundtable discussion” with the president—where you actually may be able to shape policy, because Trump listens to Fox News, the voices in his head, and anyone who strokes his ego. I’d say you had a 50-50 shot.
Ever since the news of the fundraiser leaked, a bevy of celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, George Takei, and Billy Eichner have taken to the Twitter streets to voice their disgust, in addition to the creation of a Change.org petition, which now has 5,000 signatures, demanding that the event be canceled.
Both companies—Soul Cycle and Equinox—tried to get as far away from this debacle as possible, with Soul Cycle CEO Melanie Whelan releasing a statement saying the company “in no way endorses the political fundraising event being held later this week.”
Equinox also issued a combined statement with SoulCycle, saying much of the same.
Let’s be clear though: corporations have no heart, moral compass or fucks to give about you, children in cages or the white supremacist drivel dribbling from Trump’s mouth. They schmooze with the president for tax breaks and expansions for their businesses, and clearly, quite a few of them have jumped on the Trump bandwagon for a favor.
In fact, if the tweet below is true, soon we won’t have any places left to patronize—if the litmus test is supporting this president, which may be a good thing: