Sun-Maid Raisins has ended its sponsorship of the Fresno Grizzlies, a Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, after a video it showed at a game depicted U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as “an enemy of freedom.”
The video, which aired on Memorial Day at the Grizzlies game, contained an image of Ocasio-Cortez alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Fidel Castro, the late Cuban dictator. Images of the three were shown as audio of President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural address played in the background. Ocasio-Cortez’s images appeared as Reagan said, “enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries” will be “reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people.”
In a statement, the Grizzlies apologized for airing the video, which was produced by an outside source, and said they failed to properly vet it. “We’re embarrassed we allowed this video to play without seeing it in its entirety first,” the statement said.
“We have discussed our position with Grizzlies management and wish them well as they manage through this matter,” Sun-Maid said in a statement.
Heineken USA and its Tecate and Dos Equis brands also terminated its sponsorship with the team over the video.