Is Starbucks Sponsoring the Republican National Convention? Kind Of — But It's Not What You Think
Fans are unhappy with Starbucks.
Published July 17 2024, 2:42 p.m. ET
As if they haven't already faced enough backlash, Starbucks is once again making headlines for a reason that has fans of the brand very unhappy. The coffee company, which boasts itself as being "an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible company," per the official website's Inclusion & Diversity page, has the public frustrated after being discovered as one of the supporting brands of this year's Republican National Convention.
Starbucks is sponsoring the convention through partnership with the MKE 2024 Host Committee, a Milwaukee-based organization created to uphold the event and ensure that it "has all the tools it needs to be successful." However, things may not be exactly as they seem.
Let's take a look at the details.
Starbucks sponsors the organization dedicated to hosting the RNC.
On their website, the MKE Host Committee provides a list of their sponsors and partnered brands — and right there, among right-wing names like Turning Point USA and The Heritage Foundation, sits the Starbucks logo.
Of course, if you're not familiar, Turning Point USA was founded by Charlie Kirk and aims to promote conservative thinking and values within the American education system. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., which is the originator of Project 2025, a manifesto that aims to overhaul the Department of Justice, repeal the legalization of gay marriage, and more.
While seeing the Starbucks logo listed among such polarizing organizations may give you second thoughts about supporting the brand, things may not be as bad as you think.
According to AP News, a statement from a Starbucks spokesperson claims that "Starbucks is providing coffee and other beverages to first responders at five RNC venues through a partnership with the Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee ... It is not providing a cash sponsorship of any kind."
In fact, the article also says that Starbucks has a similar partnership planned with the Chicago 2024 Host Committee, which will be facilitating the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
