Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Nike following the company’s decision to pull an American flag-themed sneaker Tuesday.
“Independence too offensive. Too offensive to put on a pair of shoes. So, if we are in a political environment where the American flag has become controversial to Americans, I think we have got a problem,” McConnell said at an event in Kentucky.
“I hope Nike either releases these shoes, or some other shoemaker picks up the flag, puts it on a pair of shoes, and starts selling it. I will make the first order,” McConnell continued.
WATCH:
Senator McConnell weighs in on Nike’s decision to pull the Betsy Ross shoes. “I’ll make the first order.” pic.twitter.com/QtMP1jXJpC
— Daniel Desrochers (@drdesrochers) July 2, 2019
This comes as Air Manufacturing Innovation, the Nike subsidiary that makes Nike Air sneakers, announced it would be opening a multimillion-dollar facility in Arizona only hours before news broke that Nike was recalling Air Max 1 USA sneakers due to a Revolutionary War-era version of the flag, which was put on the heel of the shoe. (RELATED: Arizona Drops Nike Investment After Betsy Ross Shoe Is Scrapped)
The shoes were pulled after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick said that the Betsy Ross flag was a symbol of the slave era and found it offensive.