Billionaire Walmart heiress Christy Walton faced backlash from the White House and avoidance by Walmart itself after she bought an ad appearing to call Americans across the country to protest against President Donald Trump.
Walton, one of the richest women in America, bought a full-page ad in the New York Times declaring "NO KINGS," referring to the No Kings organization that is coordinating hundreds of protests across the country against Trump's administration on the same day as his military parade this weekend.
Andrew Cook, a spokesman for the No Kings organization, told Forbes there will be more than 1,800 events across America.
While Walton's ad does not mention Trump directly, it instead appears to echo many common liberal critiques of the president and his policies by declaring, "We are a people of principle and honor. We honor our commitments and stand by our allies. We defend against aggression by dictators. We uphold and defend the Constitution."
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The ad continued, "We care for our children and veterans. We respect our neighbors and trading partners. We support a healthy national and international economy, community, and environment. We are the world leader trusted to uphold the stability of the rule of law."
It then concludes, "We are the people of the United States of America. The honor, dignity, and integrity of our country are not for sale. Our government is of the people, by the people, for the people."
A spokesperson for Christy Walton told Fox News Digital in a statement: "The personal ad message from Christy Walton published, Sunday, June 8, focuses on encouraging people to engage peacefully and civically in next weekend's events on June 14th. It is unrelated to the events we have seen unfold the past several days. Christy has provided no funding to organizations or individuals involved in the demonstrations in Los Angeles or other cities, nor has she provided any funding to those organizing the upcoming events."
The statement continued, "Her interest is simply in encouraging people to listen to one another, participate in their communities, and productively engage on the issues they care about. She believes while we have the right to protest, we do not have a right to violence. She condemns violence in all forms and her message promotes civic engagement, peaceful dialogue, and the sharing of diverse views and voices."
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, which argued that the ad rings tone-deaf to the mandate of Americans who elected Trump last November.
"Great, a left-wing billionaire feels like burning some of her inheritance for a PR stunt. It's not going to change the fact that over 77 million Americans voted for mass deportations, border security, and America First trade policies - a mandate that the Trump administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to deliver on," a White House spokesperson said.
Walmart appeared to distance itself from Walton and her activism in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "We condemn violence, including when it's directed towards law enforcement, and the damaging of property."
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"As a company with associates and customers in the Los Angeles region, we remain focused on their safety and that of impacted communities. The advertisements from Christy Walton are in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart. She does not serve on the board or play any role in decision making at Walmart," the company statement added.
