During 2020 Trump and others advocated for boycotts of left-wing businesses, or "buy-cotts" if the company supported a right-wing cause. Chic-fil-a, which had formerly been at the center of the boycott dispute, ended its donations to the Salvation Army in 2019[1] and therefore was not a major figure in the boycotts and buy-cotts.
Prior to George Floyd's death in late May, 2020, most American businesses had attempted a policy of political neutrality. Following forms of left-wing violence, including riots, businesses declared solidarity with Black Lives Matter and turned to the political left in the hope of avoiding the effects of widespread looting and receiving positive press coverage from left-wing outlets including CNN, ABC News, and NBC News. Big businesses donated amounts ranging from $1,000,000 in the case of Home Depot to $100 million in the case of Walmart to combat what they alleged was systemic racism within their companies, often accompanied with politically correct company statements.[2] Big Tech and other businesses took action against conservatives, banning support for President Trump or aiming to obstruct his re-election campaign.
Following concerns among those on the right and left[3] regarding cancel culture, a movement that aims to silence right-wing points of view that has influenced social media censorship, and Twitter censorship of Donald Trump[4], some on the right moved to a social media website called Parler, which refuses to censor opinions due to an individual's political belief.[5] Some had already left for Gab, a right-wing social media website.
On August 5, 2020, Dave Seminara wrote in the Wall Street Journal Opinion that he was no longer purchasing La Colombe coffee because the company announced its support for the ACLU.[6] Seminara decided to drink Numi tea as an alternative, but following an announcement on the company's website that it "'stands in solidarity' with Black Lives Matter and the Anti Police Terror Project," he decided to drink water instead.[6]
In August 2020 an instructor at a diversity training event at Goodyear, a company with over 60,000 employees, launched a "zero tolerance" policy banning expression of Trump support or Blue Lives Matter.[7] Trump responded on Twitter, urging supporters, "Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS," and referring to left-wing boycotts, "Two can play the same game."[7]