Did trump call for his followers to boycott Costco
Executive summary
There is widespread reporting that MAGA-aligned figures and supporters urged a boycott of Costco after the company sued the Trump administration over tariffs, but none of the provided reporting shows President Trump himself calling for his followers to boycott Costco; the coverage instead attributes the calls to MAGA supporters, local politicians and commentators while documenting Costco’s legal challenge to the administration’s tariff policy [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What happened: Costco sued the Trump administration — and sparks flew
In early December 2025 Costco filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking refunds and to block tariffs imposed under an emergency-powers order, a high-profile challenge that placed the retailer alongside other firms contesting the legality of the president’s tariff orders [3] [4] [5] [6].
2. Who called for a boycott: MAGA activists, allied politicians and pundits—not, in the presented reporting, Trump himself
Multiple outlets described an immediate backlash from pro-Trump activists and MAGA-aligned local figures who urged customers to stop shopping at Costco, with at least one MAGA-aligned mayor publicly declaring “BYE BYE COSTCO” in response to the suit, and headlines framing the response as a MAGA boycott rather than a presidential edict [1] [2] [7].
3. How reporting framed the actors and motives
Coverage emphasized that the boycott energy came from grassroots MAGA networks and sympathetic officials irritated that Costco had previously resisted Trump administration pressure on DEI and now sued over tariffs — painting the move as punishment for perceived disloyalty to Trumpian economic priorities rather than a formal policy or presidential directive [1] [8] [2].
4. Did Trump personally call for a boycott? The available reporting does not show that
Within the documents provided, stories track Costco’s legal action and the ensuing MAGA backlash but do not include a statement or directive from President Trump calling on his followers to boycott Costco; the quotations and social pressure cited are attributed to MAGA supporters and allied local figures, and the White House response quoted in coverage defended the tariffs rather than urging a consumer boycott [3] [1] [5].
5. Why that distinction matters: presidential voice versus partisan backlash
A president publicly urging a consumer boycott would be a distinct escalation with potential legal and political consequences; the coverage instead documents partisan actors mobilizing on social media and in local politics — a form of pressure commonly seen in polarized consumer politics — which is different from an explicit presidential call to action [2] [9].
6. Broader context and competing narratives reported
Analysts and journalists cited that Costco’s customer base tends to be loyal and that tariffs are broadly unpopular, factors that may blunt boycott impact; some pieces argued the backlash was more symbolic than economically decisive, while other outlets highlighted grassroots fury as politically potent even if sales effects remain uncertain [9] [10] [11].
7. Limits of the reporting and caveats
This analysis is based solely on the supplied reporting: those sources document MAGA-led boycott calls, local politicians’ statements and the White House defending tariff policy, but they do not contain any direct quote or reporting that President Trump himself called for his followers to boycott Costco — if such a presidential statement exists, it is not present in these materials [1] [3] [5].