NRA backlash: These are the companies cutting ties
A slew of companies are ending their ties to the National Rifle Association in the wake of the massacre at a Florida high school that left 17 dead earlier this month.
Major companies such as United, Delta, Enterprise Holdings, First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec and MetLife were among the first to call it quits after a #BoycottNRA hashtag started to pick up steam online last week.
The NRA was initially mum on the tragic event but later went on the offensive during an annual gathering of conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington last Thursday, igniting the boycott.
The gun rights group’s chief executive Wayne LaPierre openly criticized gun-control advocates and the media for its coverage of the shooting.
“They don’t care about our schoolchildren,” LaPierre said Thursday. “They want to make all of us less free,” adding that Democrats are pushing a “socialist” agenda to deprive gun owners of their weapons.
“Socialism is a movement that loves a smear," he added.
Those comments, however, did not sit well with people who later took to Twitter urging companies to halt partnerships with the organization. Since Thursday, close to a dozen companies have announced its ending deals with the gun’s group.
The NRA later fired back with a tweet saying: “Let it be absolutely clear. The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission to stand and defend the individual freedoms that have always made American the greatest nation in the world.”
Here are the companies that have promptly responded to customers and severed their relationships with NRA.
Delta
The airline announced in a tweet on Saturday that it's reaching out to the NRA to end a contract for members to receive discounted rates through a group travel program. It also is requesting the gun rights advocacy group to remove its information from their website.
United
Shortly after Delta announced that it would sever its partnership with the NRA, United Airlines tweeted that it would no longer offer a discounted rate to the NRA's annual meeting. It also requested that their information be removed from the NRA's website.
First National Bank of Omaha
The Omaha bank was the first company to respond to the boycott. It tweeted that “customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA. As a result, First National Bank of Omaha will not renew its contract with the National Rifle Association to issue the NRA Visa Card.”
Enterprise Holdings
The rental car company followed a few hours later on Thursday, tweeting “all three of our brands have ended the discount for NRA members. This change will be effective March 26. Thank you again for reaching out.”
Avis Budget Group Inc.
It also announced it is ending its Ended partnership with NRA, effective March 26.
Hertz Global Holdings Inc.
Hertz quickly followed and tweeted, "We have notified the NRA that we are ending the NRA's rental car discount program with Hertz."
Symantec Corporation
On Friday, the software company announced that it also has stopped its discount program with the National Rifle Association in a tweet.
MetLife
The insurer also announced on Friday that it would break off from the NRA. It released a statement on Twitter saying, “We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA.”
Wyndham Worldwide Corp
The hospitality company tweeted Friday that it is no longer affiliated with the NRA, severing its relationship with them late last year.
Chubb Ltd.
The insurer said that it will stop underwriting a NRA-branded insurance policy for gun owners.
North American Van Lines Inc:
The company said it has scrapped its affiliate relationship with the NRA.