Under Armour CEO: Thousands of employees "proudly call Baltimore home"
- After President Donald Trump derided Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings and his Baltimore district, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank defended the city that serves as home base for his sportswear company.
- Plank posted a video on social media "on behalf of thousands of UA teammates who proudly call Baltimore home."
- Under Armour has almost 1,900 workers in Baltimore, making it one of Baltimore's biggest employers.
Following President Donald Trump's derogatory tweets this weekend about Rep. Elijah Cummings and the Maryland Democrat's Baltimore district, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is standing up for the city his sportswear company calls home.
- Trump sparks outrage with derogatory tweets about Rep. Elijah Cummings
- Baltimore Sun rips Trump in scathing editorial defending Rep. Elijah Cummings
The billionaire posted a video on Instagram Sunday night sharing scenes of everyday life in Baltimore, from schools to basketball courts, and showing people garbed in Under Armour clothes. "On behalf of thousands of UA teammates who proudly call Baltimore home... Work to be done but we are of this city and for this city," he said in the message. By early Monday, the video had been viewed nearly 14,000 times. It ends with a link to the company's #WeWill campaign that launched in 2017 and promotes the idea of sports uniting people.
The video does not specifically mention Mr. Trump or his comments, in which he called Baltimore "a rodent infested mess." President Trump continued his twitter rant on Monday.
Plank's defense of Baltimore -- a far milder retort than an editorial in the Baltimore Sun -- is not the first time he's taken issue with President Trump. In 2017, he joined Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich in quitting a White House manufacturing jobs initiative after President Trump did not explicitly condemn white nationalist groups in violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
One of Baltimore's biggest employers, Under Armour has almost 1,900 workers in the city, according to a state tally.