MLB Boycott Calls Grow After Donald Trump Hits Out Over All-Star Game
An effort to boycott Major League Baseball (MLB) has gained some traction on social media after former President Donald Trump urged people to punish MLB for its decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia.
The move was in response to the state's new election law, which critics, including President Joe Biden, have called a voter suppression measure and compared to racist Jim Crow era laws.
"Baseball is already losing tremendous numbers of fans, and now they leave Atlanta with their All-Star Game because they are afraid of the Radical Left Democrats who do not want voter I.D., which is desperately needed, to have anything to do with our elections," Trump said in a statement from his Save America PAC.
"Boycott baseball and all of the woke companies that are interfering with Free and Fair Elections. Are you listening Coke, Delta, and all!" Trump said.
Many Twitter users expressed support for a boycott, while there was widespread criticism of MLB's decision from those defending Georgia's new law.
"Will @MLB move their headquarters from New York? A state that has less access to early voting than GA. Why do they support NY's racist election policies? #BoycottMLB," tweeted Fox News' Lisa Boothe.
Will @MLB move their headquarters from New York? A state that has less access to early voting than GA. Why do they support NY’s racist election policies? #BoycottMLB
— Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) April 2, 2021
"I'm a lifetime @Oriolesfan. And they will never sell another ticket, hotdog or piece of merchandise to me again," wrote Dan Gainor, VP for Free Speech America. "I hope every last player and owner in @MLB goes bankrupt. #BoycottMLB."
"Boycott the @MLB," tweeted former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
"When you go to Fenway park, you need a picture ID to pick up tickets at the window, picture ID to buy a beer, picture ID to use a credit card, but they feel there should be no ID when voting? Good luck. #BoycottMLB," wrote radio host John DePetro.
Other social media users didn't call directly for a boycott of MLB but criticized the decision to move the All-Star Game. Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican serving Texas' 2nd district, highlighted China's treatment of Uighur Muslims but did not call for a baseball boycott.
"Hey Joe Biden, you gonna boycott the Beijing Olympics because of mass genocide? Or are you just into hurting Atlanta small businesses that were planning on the all-star game?" Crenshaw said. Americans are sick of this woke BS. @MLBis a disgrace."
Political commentator Liz Wheeler shared a similar sentiment, saying: "So Joe Biden will endorse the @MLB moving the All Star game out of GA based on a lie... But Biden won't endorse a boycott of the 2022 Olympics in China due to literal genocide? Okaaaaay."
Defenders of the new law say it protects access to voting, especially early voting, but critics charge that the restrictions introduced will unfairly and disproportionately affect Black voters.
