President’s fundraising trip could include a stop at a Nike event.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
President Barack Obama may add a Nike event to what was believed to be a fundraising trip to Portland.
He is expected to boast the advantages of a “fast track” trade proposal currently being considered by the House, OregonLive.com reports.
Nike, along with a number of multinational companies, has been a staunch supporter of free-trade pacts that it says strengthens its global sales. Generally, the White House has focused its trade push on smaller companies known for their exports — not a corporate giant like Nike that imports its products from overseas manufacturers.
Nike, however, has established a working relationship with the administration by helping First Lady Michelle Obama on her efforts to improve physical fitness. The first lady and Nike President Mark Parker appeared together in Chicago in 2013 to announce that company would spend $50 million over the next five years to increase physical activity in schools around the country.
Nike and the White House both declined to comment in the Oregonian story.