It was no secret that Stephen Ross was an investor in Equinox and SoulCycle, two fitness brands beloved by many a well-shod urban professional. But when news broke this week that Ross, the multibillionaire real estate developer, Miami Dolphins owner, and longtime Republican donor, planned to host a Hamptons fundraiser for President Trump this weekend, the backlash was swift and merciless.
Calls to boycott the chains flooded social media, and celebrities weighed in to decry the gyms’ apparent alignment to the president’s politics. Liberal fitness fans cancelled memberships, and at least one attempt was made to get Equinox employees to strike. Protesters gathered outside locations across the country. In San Francisco, one activist shouted: “SoulCyclers support kids in cages!”
