Apple, Microsoft say 'no' to Republican National Convention

Apple, Microsoft, HP and Ford are some of America's biggest corporations that have decided to stay away from this year's Republican National Convention.

Apple is the latest to join the bandwagon to give the GOP's presumptive nominee the cold shoulder; it won't contribute money or products to the Republicans' big shindig in Cleveland this month. HP is also withholding support, while Microsoft is giving products only, not cash. Outside the tech industry, Ford, JPMorgan Chase and United Parcel Service have opted to withhold support.

Interestingly, most of these companies are also taking a pass on donating to the 2016 Democratic convention. In previous election cycles, though, several of them have given Republican organizers more sometimes far more in cash or donated products than they have the Democrats, making their pullback from the Republican gathering this year more dramatic.

The reasons aren’t very clear either. None of them is admitting to Trump effect. While most of them refuse to divulge on their ideas, others say their sponsorship plans were decided months before Trump emerged as the front-runner for the GOP nomination. In many cases, however, their decisions became known after civil rights groups launched a public effort including billboards, letters and online messages aimed at persuading companies to withhold support for an event celebrating a candidate who's campaigned with incendiary proposals, racial rhetoric and harsh comments about immigrants and women.

"Of course it's because of Trump ," says Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist who has studied party conventions for more than 30 years. Business executives, he said, don't want to alienate customers who may be offended by Trump's statements. "Just as candidates don't get votes from people they insult," he said, "corporations don't get business from people they insult."

Even so, Republican convention organisers say their fundraising is going well. More than 100 donors have contributed a total of US $57.5 million, or about 90 per cent of what's needed, says Emily Lauer of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. She declined to provide a list of sponsors. No comments have been received from Trump's campaign.