FACT CHECK: Did Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey Say, ‘Few Right Winged Nuts Won’t Affect Our Bottom Line’?
A viral Facebook post shared over 900 times claims Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said, “A few right winged nuts won’t affect our bottom line.”
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Quincey said the quote. A Coca-Cola spokesperson refuted the claim.
Fact Check:
Coca-Cola has faced criticism from some social media users for a diversity training presentation offered through LinkedIn that included the phrase “try to be less white,” according to Newsweek. Some Twitter users called for a boycott of the soft-drink company.
The viral Facebook post alleges that when asked about calls for a boycott, Coca-Cola’s CEO said, “A few right winged nuts won’t affect our bottom line.” (RELATED: Did PepsiCo Give $100 Million To Black Lives Matter?)
There is no evidence Quincey made the comment, however. Check Your Fact searched for media reports using Google and DuckDuckGo and didn’t find any attributing the quote to him. The statement also doesn’t appear in any posts on Coca-Cola’s website, Twitter account or Facebook page.
Debbie Ebalobo, a Coca-Cola spokesperson, told Check Your Fact in an email that the quote is “not accurate.” Ebalobo also shared the soft-drink company’s statement regarding LinkedIn training seminar.
“The video and images attributed to a Coca-Cola training program are not part of the company’s learning curriculum. Our Better Together global training is part of a learning plan to help build an inclusive workplace,” the statement reads. “It is comprised of a number of short vignettes, each a few minutes long. The training includes access to the LinkedIn Learning platform on a variety of topics, including on diversity, equity and inclusion. The video in question was accessible on the LinkedIn Learning platform but was not part of the company’s curriculum.”
Coca-Cola went on to say in the statement that it “will continue to listen to our employees and refine our learning programs as appropriate.”