Did you know there’s a Walmart boycott going on this week? I didn’t either. Yawn.
But I was looking for some information on another topic, and I ended up on the Newsweek website, and it’s like Walmart Blackoutpalooza over there. Seriously, aside from a few foreign and local news outlets, I can’t find coverage of this topic anywhere else, but Newsweek has published about a gazillion stories about it.
Nationwide Walmart Boycott Planned for April 7: What To Know (Published April 4)
Nationwide Walmart Boycott Organizer Issues Update (Published April 6)
Walmart Boycott Update: Nationwide Economic ‘Blackout’ Begins (Published April 7 at 7:07 a.m.)
Walmart Responds to Nationwide Boycott as Stores Face ‘Blackout’ (Published April 7 at 7:56 a.m.)
Why Are People Boycotting Walmart? What We Know (Published April 7 at 12:16 p.m.)
List of Stores Being Boycotted in 2025 as Walmart ‘Blackout’ Begins (Published April 7 at 1:15)
Economic Blackout Tour: Which Stores Face Boycott After Walmart (Published April 7 at 2:22 p.m.)
Map of States With the Most Walmart Locations as Boycott Gets Underway (Published April 7 at 3:49 p.m.)
Walmart Boycott Update—Blackout Organizer Tells Protesters ‘Hold the Line’ (Published April 8 at 5:01 a.m.)
You get the idea. With such breathless reporting, it must be a huge deal, right? I think the “news” outlet has more stories on this than they do the tariffs.
Well, it turns out that this so-called boycott has been organized by a group called The People’s Union, which, as our own Stephen Green, aka VodkaPundit, pointed out in February, is not an actual union but a “progressive lobbying outfit.” It’s also just one guy. And it’s/he’s the same group that organized the “nationwide economic blackout” back on February 28 that, as far as I can tell, resulted in a bunch of nothing. Here’s more from Steve in February:
I did a little digging into The People’s Union (not a union) to learn what kind of economic power the group wields, and I’ll be generous and just say that Jeff Bezos isn’t losing any sleep over the nationwide economic blackout. As far as I can tell, The People’s Union (not a union) is this guy named John (he wants you to call him Jai), and he has a nicely designed website.
When I wrote above that The People’s Union isn’t a union (it isn’t) but is a progressive lobbying outfit, that’s because most of the site is dedicated to promoting the usual causes like direct democracy and “free” health care.
Neither Jai nor The People’s Union (not a union) has an official presence on X, but earlier this week, he did have a bunch of low-follower accounts promoting his latest TikTok video. His Bluesky account has 293 followers, which doesn’t seem like a lot. But this is Bluesky we’re talking about, so maybe 293 followers is a lot. I don’t know.
I looked up this John/Jai fellow myself, and he does have a pretty big Instagram following. He also seems to enjoy attention more than actually making any type of real point. Most of his posts are videos of him spewing progressive talking points and conspiracy theories and admitting he’s pretty much anti-everything. It’s really kind of all over the place. I just want to know if Newsweek is on his payroll or something. I bet more people would be willing to boycott Newsweek than Walmart anyway. Then again, many people probably already do that voluntarily.
But back to the boycott itself. Here’s the statement John/Jai sent Newsweek about why he initiated it. I’m not even sure it makes sense.
We’re boycotting Walmart because they’ve become the symbol of everything that’s wrong with corporate power in this country… Our mission is simple, we want these corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes so the American people can finally be relieved of the burden of federal income tax.
We’re also calling for real equality, across the board, without question. This boycott is about showing them that we are the economy. We fund their success. And we can shift our money to local businesses or simply choose not to shop at all, anytime we want. If they want our dollars, they need to start respecting the people who keep them in business.
Newsweek also got a statement from Walmart:
Serving communities is at the heart of Walmart’s purpose to help people save money and live better. As one of the largest corporate taxpayers in the country, not only do we pay our fair share, we are an economic force multiplier strengthening communities nationwide through job creation, supplier growth, and over $1.7 billion in cash and in-kind donations last year, equal to 8 percent of our profit before tax, supporting local charities and causes such as disaster response, hunger relief, workforce development, and conservation. We remain dedicated to earning the business of all Americans and giving our time and resources to causes that uplift and unite communities who rely on us every day
Anyway, if you want to boycott Walmart along with the so-called The People’s Union, which, again, is really just this dude who likes to film himself talking, you need to avoid any “retail stores, online platforms, private label brands, pharmacy and health services, financial services, warehouse clubs, subscription services, grocery delivery and pick-up” — pretty much anything related to Walmart and Sam’s Club. And you must do so until April 14.
Or…you can go about your business like a normal person who doesn’t have time for this foolishness. If you need to go to Sam’s or Walmart this week, just do it. Heck, do it two or three times if you want.
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