Ted Cruz Accuses Nike of Telling China's Leaders 'Just Do It' on Slavery, Genocide

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) mocked Nike's business dealings in China in a tweet Friday—accusing the company of telling the country to "Just Do It," a phrase used as Nike's marketing slogan, in relation to genocide and slavery.

The tweet acknowledged the recent backlash Nike's CEO John Donahoe received after saying in a call with Wall Street analysts that "Nike is a brand that is of China and for China."

Cruz wrote in his post: ".@Nike to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]: "Genocide?" "Murder & torture?" "Slavery?" "Concentration camps?" and "Deliberately covering up a global pandemic?"—before ending the tweet by using the hashtag: "#JustDoIt".

In a separate tweet on the same topic, the senator asked: "Is it any wonder that Nike actively promotes anti-American sentiments?"

In a call from Thursday with analysts regarding Nike's latest earnings report, Donahoe had been asked about competition with Chinese brands, to which he had responded: "We're confident about what we're seeing in China as we drive long-term growth, and we have a long-term view about China. We've always taken a long-term view."

He added: "We've been in China for over 40 years, still invested significant time and energy in China in the early days, and today, we're the largest sport brand there, and we're a brand of China and for China."

The sentiment suggested support for Nike's business in China, despite the backlash the company received in March following reports of forced labor in Xinjiang.

"We are concerned about reports of forced labor in, and connected to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)," a statement from Nike read. "Nike does not source products from the XUAR and we have confirmed with our contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the region."

According to a transcript of a press call on March 25, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters: "The Chinese people wouldn't allow foreigners to reap benefits in China on the one hand and smear China on the other."

Chunying also said: "Anyone with some sense would see it a good thing to provide more job opportunities to the people including ethnic minority groups, because that will help improve their livelihood. But some are bent on linking it with forced labor and oppression, because they have been doing this themselves for hundreds of years in history. They are presuming others' behavior based on their own experience."

Newsweek reached out to Nike for additional comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.