Lime has changed its corporate travel policy to ensure not a dime of its money ends up in the coffers of the Trump Organization’s hotels and other properties in response to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that led to several deaths.
The micromobility startup wants to take that action further and has asked TripActions, the Palo Alto-based corporate travel booking service that it uses, to encourage other customers to do the same. TripActions has not returned emails seeking comment.
Earlier today, Lime asked TripActions to remove Trump properties from showing up in a search if one of its employees is booking corporate travel, according to an internal email written by Lime CEO Wayne Ting and sent to the rest of the staff.
“While some startups have argued that companies should never be political, we have always understood that the work we do here at Lime is inherently political,” Ting wrote. “We are speaking out and standing up for what we believe is right because that is the right thing to do. And we are looking for ways to ensure our actions — and dollars — don’t support those who are complicit in this attack on our democracy.”
Lime has not made any political contributions to date, according to the email. (TechCrunch confirmed with Lime that it hasn’t made any federal political contributions.) Ting wrote that the company will never support any elected official who voted to challenge the certification of the results of the Electoral College. He then went further, extending it to the Trump Organization, a real estate portfolio that includes hotels, golf properties and resorts as well as residential holdings like Trump Tower.
“Moreover, we are committing to never support or spend money at any of the business ventures and affiliates of the Trump and Kushner families,” Ting wrote. “In fact, earlier today, we asked TripActions to remove all Trump properties from Lime search results and encouraged them to institute this policy for all of their customers.”
I know many of us watched last week’s events in Washington DC in shock and horror. The bedrock of any democracy is the peaceful transfer of power based on the will of the people. It was horrific to see a mob of insurrectionists — including white supremacists, neo-nazis, and conspiracy theorists — spurred on by the President, storm the halls of Congress to undermine and overturn that most sacred democratic ritual through violence and intimidation.
The day was made even more disturbing by the stark contrast in police response between last week’s violent riots and last summer’s overwhelmingly peaceful protests for racial justice. If the rioters last week had been black and brown and held high the flag of Black Lives Matter instead of Donald Trump and the Confederacy, would they have been allowed to overrun the Capitol, ransacked offices, and walked back out the front door in their own volition? The unfortunate thing is the answer is self-evident.
As more information became available over the last few days, it’s also clear that President Trump and certain Members of Congress still do not comprehend the gravity of their offenses, show appropriate remorse for inciting such unbelievable violence, or commit to ensure they never happen again.
While some startups have argued that companies should never be political, we have always understood that the work we do here at Lime is inherently political. We are speaking out and standing up for what we believe is right because that is the right thing to do. And we are looking for ways to ensure our actions — and dollars — don’t support those who are complicit in this attack on our democracy.
We signed on to PFNYC’s letter calling for Congress to certify the results of the Presidential election ahead of the unrest. And while we have not made political donations to date, we are committing now to never support any elected official who voted to challenge the certification of the results of the Electoral College.
Moreover, we are committing to never support or spend money at any of the business ventures and affiliates of the Trump and Kushner families. In fact, earlier today, we asked TripActions to remove all Trump properties from Lime search results and encouraged them to institute this policy for all of their customers.
I know these events have been difficult to watch, painful to comprehend, and deeply hurtful on the most personal level for many of our colleagues. Please always know, we are here to support you and each other. And if it is helpful, you can find mental health support services here for US employees, and here for those in other countries.
One of Dr. King’s quotes that has always given me great strength in hard times is that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The road ahead will feel long and winding, but I truly believe when we all do our part, the righteous cause slowly, begrudgingly, and eventually triumphs.
Wayne