Getty Images

“Star Trek” star John Cho has joined the chorus of those slamming United Airlines over video of police forcibly removing a customer from an overbooked flight. And as Cho sees it, the incident is a reflection of the national political climate since Donald Trump became president.

It's hard not to see a connection between the environment Trump has created and what happened on that @united flight.

— John Cho (@JohnTheCho) April 10, 2017

The man, reportedly a Louisville, Kentucky doctor, had not violated any laws. According to fellow passenger Audra D. Bridges, who posted video of his expulsion from the flight, United determined it needed to make room for four standby crew who needed to be in Louisville. The airline initially offered people $400 and a hotel stay to voluntarily take a different flight, but people were still allowed to board after this. Once the plane was filled, passengers were told that four people needed to give up their seats. The offer was then increased to $800, but no one budged.

Also Read: United Slammed as 'Disgusting' After Man Is Forcibly Dragged Off a Flight (Videos)

At this point, United informed passengers that, because no one volunteered, the airline would use a computer algorithm to randomly select four passengers for removal – while still receiving the offered compensation.

This is within United Airlines’ rights. Thanks to the 1976 Supreme Court decision in Nader v. Allegheny Airlines, Airlines aren’t allowed to boot passengers on overbooked flights without compensating them. But they are allowed to boot them. So it is that United’s contract language says that when flights are overbooked, it can ask volunteers to give up their seats in exchange or vouchers or money, warning that any “request for volunteers and the selection of such person to be denied space will be in a manner determined solely by UA.”

But of course, what came next was the problem. Three of the randomly selected passengers left but the man captured in the video refused. So the airline called Airport law enforcement to forcibly remove him, resulting in visible injuries as the cops dragged him callously off the plane.

Cho did not clarify whether he was making a comment about police brutality, corporate indifference to customer needs, race (the passenger in question is of Asian descent), or another issue in relation to the Trump Administration.

As for United, the self-inflicted public relations head wound shows no signs of abating. On Monday, CEO Oscar Munoz defended the actions of Chicago aviation police and called the passenger “belligerent” and “disruptive” among other things. Later, a spokesperson for United told TheWrap, “We’re not blaming the customer, just stating the facts.”

11 Companies That Created Their Own PR Nightmares (Photos)

United Airlines went viral in the worst way possible when video of a man being wrestled off one of its flights hit the internet. The man, a doctor who needed to return home for his shift at a hospital, was forcibly removed from a plane because a crew member needed his seat. Video showed security dragging the man being off the plane by his arms with blood on his face.
Getty Images
United's latest public relations nightmare was preceded by an incident last month in which two teenagers were barred from boarding their flight because they were wearing leggings.
Getty Images
Within minutes of Pepsi unveiling a new ad starring Kendall Jenner, social media users almost unanimously came down against it, calling the protest-themed commercial tone deaf and opportunistic. The ad, which depicted Jenner resolving the tension at a protest scene with a can of Pepsi, was pulled after a day and the company issued an apology.
Pepsi
In 2015, Starbucks had its own PR disaster with its "race together" campaign, which sought to help heal race relations in America through coffee cup stickers, and not much else. Critics slammed the campaign, which began in response to a series police shootings, as a cheap marketing ploy.
Starbucks
Bloomingdales ran a print ad in 2015 encouraging readers to "spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking." With the accompanying photo of a man looking at a distracted woman, some accused the ad of contributing rape culture by encouraging people to shirk consent.
Bloomingdales
Budweiser found itself in a similar position when customers noticed that some Bud Light cans featured the quote “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.” One of 140 slogans printed on the cans as part of the “Up for Whatever” campaign, the quote nonetheless drew the ire of those who said the company was encouraging rape.
Getty Images
The skincare company Nivea took some heat on social media after it debuted an ad featuring the phrase "white is purity," which some accused of supporting white supremacy. The ad also included a picture of a woman and the caption "Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don't let anything ruin it."
Nivea
Samsung began selling its Galaxy Note 7 phones in August 2016, and by September, it had suspended sales of the phone due to reports that they were catching fire during charging. After issuing replacement phones only to find that those phones were also catching fire, the company officially recalled the product on Sept. 15. In October, it issued a software update to brick the model entirely.
Getty Images
Wells Fargo is currently amid its own PR disaster after it came to light that employees were creating thousands of fraudulent accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals. As many of 5,300 employees were fired as a result, and the company has since clawed back $180 million from two former executives.
Getty Images
When President Trump signed the first version of his Muslim travel ban in February and taxis briefly withheld service from airports in protest, Uber announced it would be lowering its own prices. The action led to a mass boycott of the ride sharing service and the hashtag #DeleteUber.
Getty Images
Chick-fil-A's history of anti-LGBT activism came to light after the company's CEO Dan Cathy admitted to opposing same-sex marriage in 2012. Amid increasing public outcry, the company eventually vowed to stop donating to anti-LGBT causes.
Getty Images

1 of 11

From United Airlines violently removing a passenger to Pepsi, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A’s public faux pas

United Airlines went viral in the worst way possible when video of a man being wrestled off one of its flights hit the internet. The man, a doctor who needed to return home for his shift at a hospital, was forcibly removed from a plane because a crew member needed his seat. Video showed security dragging the man being off the plane by his arms with blood on his face.

View In Gallery