Must be a Dunkin' Donuts guy! Donald Trump would rather do without Starbucks' red cups this holiday season. While speaking to supporters at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill., on Monday, Nov. 9, the Republican presidential candidate suggested that coffee and Christmas lovers should boycott the company.
"Did you read about Starbucks?" Trump, 69, asked the crowd, according to various reports. "No more 'Merry Christmas' at Starbucks. No more. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks."
The real estate mogul was referring to the controversy over Starbucks' decision to simplify their red holiday cups, which some evangelical Christians say is part of the "war against Christmas."
He added: "If I become president, we're all going to be saying 'Merry Christmas' again. That I can tell you. That I can tell you! Unbelievable."
Starbucks, for its part, responded to the controversy earlier this week, explaining that a lot of thought was put into the plain design.
"Since 1997, we have served our holiday beverages in a unique red cup, each year and each design telling a different story. Starbucks is inviting our customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way, with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas," a rep for the company told Us Weekly in a statement. "Our core values as a company are to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity. Each year during the holidays we aim to bring our customers an experience that inspires the spirit of the season and we will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world."
Trump — who isn't shy about voicing his opinion — didn't go into detail about the company's response. But he did backtrack. After all, he acknowledged that his Manhattan-based Trump Tower hotel includes a Starbucks.
"I don't know. Seriously. I don't care. By the way: That's the end of that lease," he said on Monday. "But who cares? Who cares? Who cares?!"
