Yesterday, it was reported that billionaire Hudson Yards developer Stephen Ross would be hosting a $100K+/plate Donald Trump fundraiser at his Hamptons home this Friday. Ross, who is one of the 200 richest people in the country, owns the Miami Dolphins, the Hard Rock Stadium, and the Time Warner Center, and has invested in several local food establishments, including Milk Bar, Momofuku, Resy, Bluestone Lane, and &pizza (among others). But the part of his business that has been getting the most scrutiny-by-association is Equinox Fitness Clubs (which owns Equinox, PURE Yoga, Blink Fitness, and SoulCycle), with a #BoycottEquinox protest quickly gaining traction on social media.

A good friend of mine who works at Equinox in NYC said he lost count after 50 people all cancelled their memberships TODAY.
— Cat Rakowski (@catrakowski) August 8, 2019

I’m outside @equinox Chelsea handing out leaflets. Most people nice, now 3 canceled after getting out leaflets. Others had come to cancel, say goodbye. One nasty dude. Manager claimed she called cops on me. So far nothing. https://t.co/mBGXiOpZTI
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) August 8, 2019

Ross has since released a statement in an attempt to quell some of the outrage, and clarify how he does not agree with everything Trump does...but he does agree with just enough to throw a pricey fundraiser for the man.

I always have been an active participant in the Democratic process. While some prefer to sit outside of the process and criticize, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about.
I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions.
I started my business with nothing and a reason for my engagement with our leaders is my deep concern for creating jobs and growing our country's economy.
I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges.

Equinox and SoulCycle put out statements yesterday trying to distance themselves from Ross by noting neither companies supports the event, "no company profits are used to fund politicians" and saying Ross is a "passive investor and is not involved with the management of either business." The "passive investor" phrase rubbed some the wrong way: "Stephen Ross is the president and chairman of your parent company and therefore an active investor and stakeholder," said Equinox member Brian Ellingwood. "I found yesterday's response troubling and misleading to Equinox customers who so love this gym, but 'passive investor' is simply not enough for your justification and your corporate comms. You're heavily invested. Your customers are not. We will celebrate leaving. Your other associated businesses will also see a drop in business."

I rode with SoulCycle for more than 5 years. To think the money I spent on your classes went into the pockets of Stephen Ross and therefore fundraisers for the likes of Donald Trump are unacceptable. As long as he owns you, I will not be riding. #StephenRoss https://t.co/FdLkhzMed7
— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) August 7, 2019

Outside the Equinox in the West Village today, most of the members going in and out of the gym avoided commenting on it (one person noted, "I’m in the real estate business, so gonna stay away from that one"), but a few people told Gothamist they were reconsidering their memberships in light of the association. "My first thought about it was disappointment," said Victor Velasco, a member for three years, who found out about Ross fundraising for Trump yesterday. "I plan to cancel my membership and find another gym. I just can't support, or put my money toward anyone who supports Trump." Josh Meisel, a member for four years, added, "I already knew about Ross. I don't like the guy...it was a factor in me not wanting to go [to Equinox], but I still go there."

At Hudson Yards, a lot of people had no idea Ross was involved with the construction—let alone about his connection to Trump. "It kinda sucks," said Dominique Crowder, who has worked at Hudson Yards since it opened five months ago. "I wish he wasn't doing that. I'm happy he built all this, but that's not an association I'd like him to have."

"He's doing this fundraiser for the elites, he could have easily done that for this structure—why did it have to come from us?" NYC resident Luis Ramos said, referring to the $6 billion in tax breaks for Hudson Yards. "Granted, I think it's beautiful, but it's not something sensible that we need on a day to day basis. It's not a necessity for me to come here, I came on a fluke today."

Clearly, the backlash has made some sort of an impact on Ross, as The Related Companies page listing all their lifestyle/fitness/restaurant brands is suspiciously down, with a message reading, "You are not authorized to access this page." Thankfully, we have the Wayback Machine, which helpfully lists all the brands in one place. As Jezebel and Mayor de Blasio separately noted, for those looking for an alternative gym, there's always the YMCA.

Imagine the feeling of a work out that doesn’t also fund racism, xenophobia and the ultra-rich.

Now open your eyes. I present to you the @ymca. Big fan. https://t.co/bni8gvABXS
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) August 8, 2019

New York Sports Club also sent out an email saying it is "opening its doors to all Equinox members and Soul Cycle fanatics to come work out with them for free" on Friday, on the day of the fundraiser. They add, "For those planning to drop their Equinox memberships and ditch Soul Cycle, Town Sports International, the parent company of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington Sports Clubs, will also donate a portion of all new membership sales to the Trevor Project, a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth."

View this post on Instagram
Come workout with us for free on Friday. No donations needed.
A post shared by New York Sports Clubs (@nysc) on Aug 7, 2019 at 10:44am PDT

Tracey Anderson also decided to get in on the Equinox backlash, announcing her support of The Human Rights Campaign, Everytown for Gun Safety, and The Martin Luther King Foundation by donating a percentage of class revenue from her New York City, Los Angeles and Hamptons studio locations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

View this post on Instagram
Look what you made me do.
A post shared by Tracy Anderson (@tracyandersonmethod) on Aug 8, 2019 at 5:33am PDT

The real estate industry doesn't seem to care as much though. A real estate industry insider, who asked to be anonymous because of his associations with Ross, told Gothamist most of the real estate industry was unsurprised, and unphased, by Ross' Trump connections. "Steve Ross is a well-respected legend in New York City real estate," he said. "In his career, he has been responsible directly or indirectly for the creation of more affordable housing than even de Blasio has claimed to preserve. He has known the Trump family for many years prior to 2015, and we highly doubt he shares the same politics as the president."

Another broker pointed out to Crain's that other real estate executives who have been supporters of Trump, including Vornado Real Trust executive Steve Roth and the landlord Richard LeFrak, have suffered little consequence to their business. "At the end of the day, I don’t think it matters to tenants."

Additional reporting by Adwait Patil

Hudson Yards Billionaire Stephen Ross On Trump Fundraiser: 'We Strongly Disagree' On Many Things, But I'm Still Supporting Trump