Laura Ingraham warns Coca-Cola over stand against Georgia voting law: 'Patriots will choose another beverage'
Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham attacked Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey after he criticized a new voting law that was passed in Georgia. Democrats are against the law which imposes strict Voter ID requirements and limits drop boxes as well. Democrats are also arguing that this bill plays on discredited claims of fraud and will end up disenfranchising mainly Black voters.
Quincey while speaking to CNBC said the legislation was "unacceptable" and added, "Legislation is wrong and needed to be remedied." Quincey further added, "It does not promote principles we have stood for in Georgia around broad access to voting, around voting convenience, about ensuring election integrity."
Ingraham referred to this and tweeted the interview clip, "Patriots will choose another beverage. Big mistake by @CocaCola. Don't poke the bear."
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Quincey's comments came after opponents of the bill called for a boycott of Georgia-based businesses such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and Home Depot. These companies are accused of not being supportive enough in opposing the law. Quincey during his interview was asked why he did not officially make his stance clear earlier to which he responded, "We have always opposed this legislation" and that "many things are improved...in private without having to take a public stand."
He also added, "So we are coming out even more clearly saying that this is wrong and it needs to change." According to Newsweek, when the organization reached out for a comment from Coca-Cola, they referred to the statement that was released by Quincey earlier on Thursday that read that the company backed supporting federal legislation which "protects voting access and addresses voter suppression across the country."
The statement had added, "We all have a duty to protect everyone's right to vote, and we will continue to stand up for what is right in Georgia and across the US."
President Joe Biden had earlier called the law an "atrocity" and condemned it by describing it as "Jim Crow in the 21st century." When Biden had come out strongly against the bill, the big companies based in Georgia were silent and hence there was a call for boycott.
Delta, which happens to be Georgia's largest employer, had only made general statements at the time and called the bill "unacceptable". Delta airline's CEO Ed Bastian said, "I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta's values."
The opposition to the bill gained traction after a letter signed by Ken Frazier, CEO of Merck, and 71 other Black executives called for corporate leaders to condemn the legislation. They said the GOP with the bill was attempting to restrict Black American voters.
Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation and a board member at Ralph Lauren, Pepsi and Square, commented on the urgency in opposition seen recently and said, "It is regrettable that the sense of urgency came after the legislation was passed and signed into law."