Ever since President Donald Trump announced his economic advisory council, many major U.S. business leaders have been criticized for joining it. One of these chief executives, Travis Kalanick of Uber, has officially resigned from the council.
“Earlier today I spoke briefly with the President about the immigration executive order and its issues for our community,” Kalanick wrote in an email to employees, which was obtained by The New York Times. “I also let him know that I would not be able to participate on his economic council. Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that.”
Kalanick’s abandonment of the economic council and the Trump administration was likely sparked by last week’s widespread protest of the ride-sharing app, especially on social media. Following the executive order announcing a travel ban for immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance tweeted out that it would temporarily go on strike in solidarity with protesters at the JFK Airport.
NO PICKUPS @ JFK Airport 6 PM to 7 PM today. Drivers stand in solidarity with thousands protesting inhumane & unconstitutional #MuslimBan.
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) January 28, 2017
Instead of striking alongside the NY Taxi Workers, Uber subsequently announced via Twitter that it would be lowering its prices in areas affected by the strike. Because of Kalanick’s inclusion on the economic advisory council, many people saw this as a move to support Trump and take business away from the taxis.
Surge pricing has been turned off at #JFK Airport. This may result in longer wait times. Please be patient.
— Uber NYC (@Uber_NYC) January 29, 2017
#DeleteUber trended on Twitter, with many people opting for Uber’s rival Lyft instead. Lyft swiftly capitalized on Uber’s PR crisis, pledging to donate $1 million to the American Civil liberties Union, which has filed multiple lawsuits against the travel ban. According to the Verge, Lyft surpassed Uber in downloads for the first time on Sunday. More than 200,000 customers had deleted their accounts, the Times reported.
The social media activism worked. At first, Kalanick released a statement listing the protections Uber would make available for its immigrant employees. This was ultimately ineffective at curbing both the #DeleteUber trend and internal worries about Uber’s affiliation with Trump—leading Kalanick to cut his ties to the president.
“There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that,” Kalanick wrote in his email to employees. “The executive order is hurting many people in communities all across America. Families are being separated, people are stranded overseas and there’s a growing fear the U.S. is no longer a place that welcomes immigrants.”
Uber CEO: I’m with Trump
Twitter: #DeleteUber
Uber CEO: naw run that back, I aint even mean it like that
— Wokeness Everdeen (@LexieS1723) February 3, 2017
If #DeleteUber got the Uber CEO to quit the government, can we please make #DeleteTrump a thing?
— Ronny Pascale (@ronnypascale) February 3, 2017
Kalanick’s move away from Trump could put pressure on other top chief executives on the economic advisory council, including Robert A. Iger of Disney and Elon Musk of Tesla Inc.
Musk said via Twitter Thursday that he would use the economic council meeting to “express our objections to the recent executive order on immigration and offer suggestions for changes to the policy.”
Regarding the meeting at the White House: pic.twitter.com/8b1XH4oW6h
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2017
However, some think that other companies involved in the Trump administration should take #DeleteUber as a warning sign. “Make no mistake: this is a crushing victory for a company that only a week ago, saw its CEO, Travis Kalanick, smugly assuring the world that his role advising Trump was in everyone’s best interest,” Dan O’Sullivan, a freelance writer credited with helping #DeleteUber go viral, told Vice News.
“As for the other 18 members of Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum,” O’ Sullivan continued, “including the CEOs of Pepsi, General Motors, SpaceX, Disney, and Walmart—you’re next. Uber will not be the last to suffer for cozying up to Trump.”