United States | News & Politics

Target CEO Brian Cornell defended his decision to pull some of the retailer’s Pride Collection merchandise off shelves earlier this year, saying backlash against the items led to the most serious safety threats that he can recall in his decade with the company.

In an interview with CNBC’s Becky Quick that aired Thursday morning on “Squawk Box,” Cornell said employees dealt with “very aggressive behavior” in stores, including threats, destruction of merchandise and disruptions at the cashier area. He said some people yelled at employees and “threatened to light product on fire” in stores.

“I’ve seen natural disasters,” Cornell said. “We’ve seen the impact of Covid leading into the pandemic. Some of the violence that took place after George Floyd’s murder. But I will tell you, Becky, what I saw back in May is the first time since I’ve been in this job where I had store team members saying, ‘It’s not safe to come to work.’”