Walmart heiress Christy Walton promoted a planned nationwide protest against President Trump by placing a full-page advertisement that ran in the New York Times on Sunday.
The ad, which the billionaire heiress paid for, calls on people to participate in the “No Kings” protest slated to take place across the U.S. on June 14 — the same day a military parade celebrating the Army’s 250th Anniversary is set to take place in Washington, D.C. The date of the parade and protests also coincides with Mr. Trump’s birthday.
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The ad lists eight declarations, including “WE honor our commitments and stand by our allies, WE defend against aggression by dictators, WE care for veterans and children, WE respect our neighbors and trading partners, WE support a health national and international economy, WE uphold the stability of rule of law,” and more.
More text is printed at the bottom of the full-page advertisement. “We are the people of the United States of America. The honor, dignity, and integrity of our country are not for sale,” it reads.
“Our government is of the people, by the people, for the people,” the last line of the ad states.
A spokesperson for Ms. Walton told CBS MoneyWatch that Sunday’s ad “focuses on encouraging people to engage peacefully and civically in next weekend’s events on June 14th.”
Walmart sought to distance the retail chain from Ms. Walton’s ad. “The advertisements from Christy Walton are in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart. She does not serve on the board or play any role in decision-making at Walmart,” the company said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
“Eat the tariffs”
Walmart is among the major U.S. retailers that have said Mr. Trump’s tariff policies would force them to pass on added costs to customers.
“We can control what we can control,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call last month. “Even at the reduced levels, the higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” he added.
Mr. Trump later warned Walmart against raising its prices, writing on social media that it should “eat the tariffs” instead of raising prices on some goods.
When asked about the planned protests Thursday, Mr. Trump said he did not feel like a king because “I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.”
What are the “No Kings” protests?
A website dedicated to the protests explains that Saturday will mark “a national day of action and mass mobilization” in response to what it calls “the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.”
“We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political positions, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies. They think they rule — but we are bigger than even their worst aspirations,” the site reads.
The protests were deliberately scheduled for June 14 to divert attention away from the military parade in Washington, D.C. scheduled to take place on the same date, the group said on the site.
Ms. Walton, through her spokesperson, added that she does not condone violence, and that her interest lies “in encouraging people to listen to one another, participate in their communities, and productively engage on the issues they care about.”
“She believes while we have the right to protest, we do not have a right to violence. She condemns violence in all forms and her message promotes civic engagement, peaceful dialogue, and the sharing of diverse views and voices,” her spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
