Why is Jimmy Johns Boycott Trending on Twitter?

(AP) — Social media users are calling for a boycott of Jimmy John’s after controversial photos of the fast-food sandwich chain’s CEO resurfaced online Friday. 

Posted: Aug 24, 2019 / 10:50 AM CDT / Updated: Aug 24, 2019 / 10:50 AM CDT

Jimmy John Liautaud, who founded the company and currently serves as its chairman, has previously been criticized by animal rights groups for his love of big game hunting. Photos of Liautaud posing with dead “trophy” animals first emerged on the internet in 2011, according to Snopes. 

But Friday, responses to a Tweet posted in April — which included a photo of the CEO giving a thumbs up while sitting on top of a dead elephant — began trending on Twitter.

Quickly, the hashtag #BoycottJimmyJohns began trending, with more than 77,000 people tweeting about the topic as of Friday afternoon. 

Liautaud has been hunting animals such as rhinos, elephants, lynxes and zebras since at least 2002, according to Snopes. There’s no evidence that any of these hunts were illegal, however. Big game hunting has often been a source of controversy due to its inclusion of potentially endangered animals, including some species of elephants and rhinos. 

It’s unclear why the photos of Liautaud resurfaced when they did, but the proposed boycott comes as numerous executives have been criticized for their support of various political causes. For example, many customers called for a boycott of fitness chains Equinox and Soul Cycle after it was revealed that Stephen Ross, who had invested in both brands, was hosting a fundraiser for President Trump. 

There’s been a great deal of debate about whether these sort of corporate boycotts are effective, and those looking to hurt Jimmy John’s face an uphill battle: The restaurant chain now has more than 2,800 locations and more than $2 billion in revenue. Still, there’s no denying the outrage many are feeling over Liautaud’s hobby.

#JimmyJohnsBoycott