Toyota has come under fire after news emerged that it has donated significant sums of money to Republicans who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 general election.
Toyota is the no. 1 donor to Republicans who objected to certifying the 2020 election results \u2014 by far\nhttps://www.axios.com/toyota-leads-donations-among-election-objectors-ebae427b-6f47-4591-aa28-31f366e6e2e0.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=politics-electioncertification\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/coBWOnORoa— Axios (@Axios) 1624826975
According to data compiled by the political watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and reported by Axios, Toyota gave $55,000 to 37 Republican objectors this year, a number that amounts to about a quarter of the lawmakers who voted against certifying President Joe Biden's win.
A spokesperson for the automaker soon released a statement defending its donations:
"Toyota supports candidates based on their position on issues that are important to the auto industry and the company. We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification. Based on our thorough review, we decided against giving to some members who, through their statements and actions, undermine the legitimacy of our elections and institutions."
The blowback was immediate; the hashtag #Toyota soon began to trend.
Perhaps the most pointed criticisms came from CREW themselves, whose report lambasts corporate and industry interests who have donated to the Sedition Caucus, a pejorative term for the Republicans who voted against certifying the election results.
When you buy a Toyota, you're funding the biggest corporate backer of politicians spreading the Big Lie— Citizens for Ethics (@Citizens for Ethics) 1624880177
Many social media users also weighed in. Some identified themselves as Toyota owners and vowed never to purchase a car from the company again.
What a coincidence @Toyota I do not believe it is appropriate to buy cars from companies that fund politicians who try to overthrow our Democracy.\n\nWifey & I are deciding between Toyota, Honda, & Nissan for our next minivan. Let's go places...not named Toyota.https://twitter.com/axios/status/1409253647523979264\u00a0\u2026— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@Qasim Rashid, Esq.) 1624836359
Hello @Toyota? I\u2019ve had my @Lexus since 2012. Second one. Loved them both. Was looking at your new models for 2022. Now, though, there will not be a third one until you clean up your act. @slpng_giantshttps://twitter.com/hugolowell/status/1409278402054524929\u00a0\u2026— Melissa Jo Peltier (@Melissa Jo Peltier) 1624836257
Others decried the company for backing an "existential threat" to American democracy.
The error made by Toyota & others when they continue to support pols backing sedition is that they think it's politics as usual. Many thoughtful, well-informed Americans consider those pols to pose an existential threat to democracy & now see Toyota as supporting that threat.— David Rothkopf (@David Rothkopf) 1624879964
Auto companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars convincing consumers that driving their car "says something about you"\n\nDriving a Prius used to mean you cared about the environment. Now it's a symbol of the Big Lie. Toyota just flushed decades of branding down the toilet— Will Bunch (@Will Bunch) 1624881882
Good morning @Toyota, As a United States Army veteran who took an oath to defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and DOMESTIC, I really want to know why you continue to fund the Republican Party who assaulted our Democracy and freedoms.— David Weissman (@David Weissman) 1624885720
In January, several high-profile companies announced they would suspend donations to lawmakers who objected to the certification of the election. But CREW's report found that 34 companies have donated at least $5,000 to the campaigns and leadership PACs of one or more election objectors this year. The data shows that Toyota donated close to double the total amount than any other company and to nearly five times as many candidates as the next leading company, the public transport company Cubic Corporation, which made eight donations.
Among those who benefited from Toyota's donations: Representative Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who helped organize the "Stop the Steal" rally prior to the Capitol riot, which took place after a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, spurred by his falsehoods about the election results.
CREW found that corporations allied with the Sedition Caucus began to donate money just days after the Capitol riot. In fact, donations started "just days after the insurrection, and within the first few months after the deadly attack, their total contributions had already climbed into the millions of dollars."
The watchdog group further points out that several of these companies, which include Cigna and AT&T, have since donated to lawmakers despite saying they would not. (In January, just days after the insurrection at the Capitol, John Murabito, the chief human resources officer of Cigna, identified the attack as one of a spate of issues that "are so foundational to our core fiber that they transcend all other matters of public policy.")
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