While more than a dozen major U.S. companies have ended business partnerships with the National Rifle Association, FedEx says it’s sticking with the group and will not be removed from the NRA website where members are offered corporate discounts.
The Memphis-based delivery company said it doesn't agree with the NRA and believes weapons like the AR-15 assault-style rifle shouldn’t be owned by civilians. But it says it will not deny service based on political views or policy positions.
The decision drew instant reaction across social media from both sides of the issue and potential backlash from some customers.
One company vowed to take its 100,000 annual shipments elsewhere if FedEx does not end its partnership with the NRA.
Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, president of the state Senate and a leading candidate to succeed Gov. Nathan Deal, threatened on Monday to derail a $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel for Delta after it ended its NRA partnership.
United Continental Holdings, Inc., based in Chicago, also cut ties to the NRA, but has not seen a similar political backlash.
Other companies that have severed relationships with the NRA include Metlife, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Best Western, and Wyndham.