Dolphins' Kenny Stills, owner Stephen Ross 'agree to disagree' over Trump support
Former George W. Bush deputy assistant Brad Blakeman discusses how celebrities are calling on people to boycott Equinox and SoulCycle over their owner’s ties to President Trump.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills and team owner Stephen Ross held a phone call this week discuss their disagreement over the billionaire real estate magnate’s recent fundraiser for President Trump.
Stills, 27, emerged as a prominent critic of Ross’ event for Trump earlier this month, arguing the Dolphins owner’s support of the president’s re-election campaign contradicted the mission statement of his non-profit, RISE, which seeks to combat racial discrimination. Ross has faced widespread criticism, with some calling for a boycott of fitness brands SoulCycle and Equinox, which are subsidiaries of a Ross-owned company.
A Dolphins officials confirmed that the two spoke by phone, but declined to comment on the substance of their discussion. Stills said that he and Ross “agreed to disagree” during their talk.
“There’s not much to argue about,” Stills told the Palm Beach Post. “He has his feelings about it and he stands firm in that and I respect that. But I disagree and I told him there’s no hard feelings. There’s no beef and let’s win some games this year.”
Stills has played for the Dolphins since 2015. An outspoken activist, Stills was one of a handful of NFL players who continued to carry out national anthem protests during the 2018 season.
SoulCycle and Equinox distanced themselves from Ross amid the boycott calls, noting in a joint statement that he was a “passive investor.” Ross explained his decision to hold the fundraiser for Trump in a subsequent statement.
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“I have always been an active participant in the democratic process. While some prefer to sit outside of the process and criticize, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about," Ross said. "I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions."