Wendy's, a fast-food leader in social media, found itself in some hot water this week when fans and customers of the brand learned of a franchisee's donations to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The beloved burger chain responded late Wednesday, taking to Twitter with a statement in support of the recent protests, revealing they were donating to social justice organizations.
"Our voice would be nothing without Black culture. Right now, a lot of people are hurting because of blatant racism against Black people. Their voices need to be heard. Period. We're about putting our money where our mouth is. So here's our money and here's our mouth," the statement read in a series of tweets. "We are committed to donating $500k to support social justice, the youth and education in the Black community starting with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and we'll have receipts."
They went on to share how they have heard their employees and customers, who have spoken loud and clear. "We know we have a lot more to do than a donation. We're committed to doing the work and we hear you," they wrote.
Furthermore, when asked by a fan of the brand if there was any truth to alleged reports from Business Insider that Wendy's itself supported a Trump campaign, they replied most assertively that it was not at all the case. "We never have and will never contribute to a presidential campaign," they wrote. "For the record, our CEO has always kept that same energy too. Facts."
The initial controversy stemming from social media spawned the hashtag "WendysIsOverParty" on Tuesday. Scroll down to see more reactions from Twitter users over the franchisee who made the donation, not the parent company.