{"id":29931,"date":"2018-03-21T22:08:59","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T02:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/?p=29931"},"modified":"2019-04-25T13:39:57","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:39:57","slug":"liberal-starbucks-executive-rips-obama-leadership-shareholder-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2018\/03\/21\/liberal-starbucks-executive-rips-obama-leadership-shareholder-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberal Starbucks Executive Rips Obama Leadership During Shareholder Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Free-Market Activist Grills Coffeehouse Executive For Consistent Trump-Bashing While Starbucks Workers Benefit from President’s Policies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starbucks Executive Chairman Howard Schultz Makes Shocking Admission That Obama Shares Blame for Staggering National Debt<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seattle, WA\/Washington, DC – Howard Schultz, the former CEO and current executive chairman of the Starbucks coffee chain, ripped into former President Barack Obama and other politicians today for causing the national debt to skyrocket. This came as Justin Danhof, Esq.<\/a>, the Director of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project<\/a>, confronted the company’s leadership at today’s annual meeting of shareholders about Schultz’s repeated attacks on President Donald Trump’s signature tax cut \u2014 even as Starbucks employees are reaping the benefits of that law. In response, Schultz took Washington to task \u2013 including President Obama \u2013 for robbing future generations with its profligate spending.<\/p>\n

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Justin Danhof, Esq.<\/p><\/div>\n

“It’s nice to see a little candor from a person who has made promoting the agenda of liberal politicians like Obama a part of his business model,” said Danhof, who attended the meeting in Seattle, Washington. “But he still bashed the tax reform that another Starbucks executive earlier credited for increased pay and new stock bonuses, paid family leave and sick-pay benefits. He still refused to show any remorse for downplaying the effects of tax reform on the company’s front-line employees.”<\/p>\n

In his response<\/a> to Danhof’s question, Schultz blamed politicians from both political parties. His public criticism of Obama, a man he endorsed for president twice, was unexpected. Schultz said: “President Obama\u2026 [is] compliant in the reckless approach to the amount of debt. And if this was a business, we’d be approaching insolvency.”<\/p>\n

In his question, Danhof noted:<\/p>\n

Hundreds of corporations have offered bonuses, increased wages and increased investments in the United States \u2013 importantly \u2013 in response to President Trump’s tax reform. Despite Mr. Schultz’s protestations, of course Starbucks increased wages and offered [stock] bonuses to many of its employees\u2026 [T]hat was in response to the tax cuts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

During these comments, Danhof addressed the issue of the deficit, criticizing Schultz’s liberal party-line pseudo-economic claim that tax cuts will drastically increase the deficit:<\/p>\n

It’s shocking to hear Mr. Schultz object to a law that’s helping so many Starbucks employees and their families. If he cares more about criticizing the President, he has the right to enter the political arena. But this law is helping Starbucks partners.<\/p>\n

So, my question is for [Starbucks CEO] Kevin [Johnson]: Do you agree with your predecessor that the recent tax cuts, that have benefited so many Starbucks partners, are “fool’s gold” designed to rob future generations?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Danhof’s question, as prepared for delivery, is available here<\/a>. A full video of the exchange is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n