South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has taken a stand against Target for funding an organization that wants to shut down Mount Rushmore because she sees it as a “symbol of white supremacy.”
In an interview with FOX News host Steve Doocy on Fox and Friends on Wednesday, Noem said that while she and other Americans loved shopping at Target, “we just can’t do it anymore” because the company is “fundamentally destroying this country.” .
Target has come under fire in recent weeks for its Pride display of tuck-friendly women’s swimsuits.
It was later revealed that her nonprofit organization had donated millions to a pro-LGBTQ organization that works to ensure that a child’s gender identity is kept from their parents, and another group that supports the return of Mount Rushmore to the Lakota people demands.
Target’s market value fell $14 billion in the wake of the scandal but has since risen slightly, recouping $1 billion of its losses.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Wednesday Americans should stop shopping at Target
She accused the company of “fundamentally destroying this country”.
Target’s market value fell by $14 billion, but has since rebounded slightly, recouping $1 billion of its losses.
On Wednesday, Doocy spoke about Target’s connection to the NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power, according to its website.
The FOX News host asked Noem what she thought of the connection, to which she replied, “Well Steve, it’s crazy.”
“They want to take Mount Rushmore away, shut it down, eliminate it.” And it’s long been an institution of what America stands for.”
She then went on to describe the group that Target funded in 2022 as extremist, “anti-American, anti-military, anti-political, anti-Terranian,” and “anti-Israel,” and said she used the money she received from Target to “promote our American lifestyle and value system.” infiltrate”.
“It’s dangerous,” Noem added. “And Steve, like a lot of Americans, I love shopping at Target.” I mean, we do, but we just can’t anymore.
“And while the rest of the country is concerned about having fun, shopping and enjoying a business, this business is fundamentally destroying this country.” And we need to have real conversations about how serious we are about protecting our freedom .”
Doocy agreed, noting that “Target is having a bad month,” which Noem called “well deserved.”
Her comments come just a day after she tweeted about Target’s support for the NDN Collective, writing, “Target’s leftist leaders support gifting of Mount Rushmore.” Not on my watch. “America’s symbol of freedom will endure.”
Target has come under fire for its Pride presentation in recent weeks
Target sold “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits
On Tuesday, Noem tweeted that she would not allow Mount Rushmore to close
The NDN collective is demanding the return of public lands, supports opening up Israel to those identifying as Palestinian refugees, and reportedly has “hostile views” of the military for ensuring that the United States is “demilitarized.” .
“The closure of Mount Rushmore, the return of this land and all public lands in the Black Hills, South Dakota, is our ultimate struggle,” NDN said of its LANDBACK campaign.
“Mount Rushmore not only sits at the heart of the sacred Black Hills, but is also an international symbol of white supremacy and colonization.” To truly dismantle white supremacy and systems of oppression, we must go back to basics. For us, that means tribal lands are getting back into tribal hands.”
As for the US military, the NDN said that “violence is fundamental to maintaining its presence for the US.”
‘[T]”The U.S. military’s mission is explicitly to take lands from communities around the world and use their presence on their lands to further their own goals for the residents of that area,” it said.
“Violence is fundamental for the US to maintain its presence, and it is with the military that they establish their supremacy at home and abroad, wherever they are.”
Target has ramped up its diversity program with new boss Kiera Fernandez, who previously said “white women” should get to work fighting systemic racism
The NDN added: “However, the purpose of these informal militias was not to keep police or protect citizens, but to rid the country of as many natives as possible by killing indiscriminately and capturing runaway enslaved Africans.”
It’s just one of the many “Woke” organizations the company funds under CEO Kiera Fernandez, who previously called on “white women” to fight systemic racism.
The company has also donated over $2.1 million to gay-friendly organization GLSEN, one of whose policies is that school staff “ensure that all personally identifiable and medical information pertaining to transgender and non-binary students is kept confidential.” .
The retail chain says on its website that the organization “leads the movement in creating affirmative, accessible and anti-racist spaces for LGBTQIA+ students.”
“We are proud of the more than 10 years of cooperation with GLSEN and continue to support their mission.”
However, the company didn’t mention that its vice president of brand management, Carlos Saavedra, 43, also volunteers as a director for the organization.
According to his LinkedIn page, he joined Target in July 2019 and was named vice president, brand management in January 2021.
According to his profile, he joined GLSEN as a board member in May 2019 and was elected to the board as treasurer in November 2021.
Saavedra’s profile explains that the organization’s mission is “to help create safe spaces in schools for LGBTQIA+ students”.
Miami police officers were stationed outside the entrance of a store during the protests
Some Southern stores moved their Pride displays to smaller locations in the back
But when news of Target’s “tuck-friendly” bikinis broke on social media, the value plummeted by $14 billion.
And despite the brand’s efforts to distract from its disastrous campaign, continued stock price declines led JPMorgan to downgrade its stock from “neutral” to “overweight” on the grounds that “too many concerns are mounting.”
Carlos Saavedra, 43, is Target’s vice president of brand management and also volunteers as a director at GLSEN, which supports LGBTQ youth in schools
“We continue to expect consumers to weaken overall as the wallet share shifts away from goods (51%). [Target’s] “Selling continues,” wrote JPMorgan analyst Christopher Horvers, according to MarketWatch.
Horvers also cited “recent corporate controversies” as the reason Target suffered devastating financial losses after “an impressive streak of 12 consecutive positive quarters.”
The company has sought to limit backlash from conservatives and moderates alike, with some Southern stores moving their Pride displays to smaller, more secluded areas.
CEO Brian Cornell also released a statement saying the company had withdrawn several counts that “were at the heart of the most confrontational behavior.”
“Since the launch of this year’s collection, we have experienced threats that affect the sense of security and well-being of our team members at work,” the company said in its statement.
“Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing elements that have been the focus of the most significant confrontational behavior.”
But the decision sparked more backlash, this time from LGBTQ+ advocates.
Erik Carnell (pictured) is a transgender designer and artist whose products US retailer Target has pulled from its Pride collection due to backlash from some customers
Conservatives and moderates have been boycotting the retail giant for several weeks. Rapper Forgiato Blow is pictured here with an unidentified woman at a protest at Target last week
Karyn Basile protested outside a Miami Target store last week and was upset with the Pride presentation
Jimmy Levy accused the store of supporting “Satanism” with its Pride exhibit
Jennifer Vazquez (left) protests with her daughter Melanie Caicedo in front of a goal in Midtown Miami
Erik Carnell, a transgender man and Satanist who designed much of the merchandise for the chain’s Pride Month line, accused Target of wanting to benefit LGBTQ people but not standing by them when challenges arise
“It’s a very dangerous precedent that you can completely disassociate yourself from the LGBT community if people get upset enough about the products you sell when and when it’s convenient,” Carnell said.
“If you want to take a stand and say you care about the LGBT community, you still have to stand up.”
And earlier this week, a group of more than 200 LGBTQ organizations sent a letter to Target asking it to stock up on its Pride merchandise and take a stance against “extremists” within 24 hours.
The Human Rights Campaign, along with GLAAD and the controversial GLSEN, released a statement Monday calling on the retail giant and other companies, including bud-light brewer Anheuser-Bush, to “reject anti-LGBTQ+ extremism during Pride Month and speak out against it.”
Over 200 other progressive organizations also signed the statement, arguing that showing support for the community is good for business.
The group wrote, “We are urging Target to (a) release a public statement within the next 24 hours reaffirming their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community (b) fully return Pride merchandise to the store floor and online.” (c) Ensuring the safety of team members who are on the front lines.
The letter goes on to say, “When it comes to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, there is no such thing as neutrality.”
It is claimed that those supporting the ongoing boycott are “extremists”.
“Their goal is clear: to prevent LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation, to silence our allies, and to render our community invisible,” the groups argue.
“These attacks are fueling hatred against LGBTQ+ people, as we have seen this year with more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills restricting civil liberties and aiming to wipe out LGBTQ+ people.”
The coalition also suggested continuing to support Target and any other company that rejects criticism.
“Target and all companies can leverage the support of LGBTQ+ organizations to counter this hatred so that together we can make it clear to extremists that, like every other failed anti-LGBTQ+ campaign of the past, fear will not prevail.”