Brandon Brown never asked to be part of a movement. 

It was just pure timing and coincidence that the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” started because of the actions of a very naive NBC NASCAR reporter, who thought tens of thousands of fans at a race in Alabama were cheering on Brown, supporting him, instead of verbally blasting Joe Biden. 

The fallout for Brown has been palpable, and the young driver has paid the price for it by being shunned by big national brands and potential sponsors. 

Here’s what he told the Sports Business Journal. 

“It got extremely difficult for us. … If you’re a national corporation, that means you sell to all consumers … and unfortunately, when you get dragged into the political arena, people want you to take a side.   It’s hard for a brand to want to attach to somebody who might be kind of divisive in their consumer base. If I’m going to divide Coca-Cola, why would they want to talk to me?”

It makes sense when you look at it from Brown’s perspective. The “F— Joe Biden” chant only got bigger, being yelled at college football games throughout the south all fall, and even popping up recently when Biden was being interviewed for a Holiday show. 

The phrase has taken on a life of its own, and you’ll hear it now everywhere, from concerts, professional sporting events, and small-town gatherings. 

The one person who has suffered the most is Brown, a marketable and talented young driver who is clearly missing opportunities. 

“So the short answer is it’s been tough to connect with partnerships just because it’s kind of viewed as a ticking time bomb: ‘What is he doing to choose or say and how would that affect our consumer base?’ It’s too much of a risk.’ I understand it on their side, but it’s made it really hard to tie everything down.” 

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