Trump suggests boycotting Starbucks' plain red holiday cups

Donald Trump's latest target: Starbucks.

The presidential hopeful brought up the topic of the chain's decision to release simple, red holiday cups this year in a pre-debate rally in Springfield, Illinois on Monday evening.

"No more 'Merry Christmas' at Starbucks," Trump said to a crowd of about 10,200, reports the Washington Post. "Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don't know. Seriously. I don't care."

Trump noted that the Trump Tower in Manhattan is home to a very successful Starbucks location. According to Trump, the red cup issue will bring about the end of the location's lease.

Starbucks' holiday red cups became a major topic of discussion when a viral Facebook video decried the chain for not featuring Christmas-related images on the minimalist cups. Annoyance that some believed the cup design to be worthy of protest helped the topic explode on social media, where #MerryChristmasStarbucks was a trending topic on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend.

We reached out to Starbucks about the controversy and will update if we hear back.

Since their creation in 1997, Starbucks' red holiday cups have rarely featured outright references to Christmas, instead tending towards abstract designs. However, the chain has featured Santas and ornaments in past years, and continues to sell a "Christmas Blend" coffee.

In general, chains' cup designs tend to avoid directly referencing Christmas. McCafe has even gone as far as to creating purple holiday cups featuring snowmen in past years.

Starbucks is used to occasional political backlash, as the company is known for involvement in progressive causes, including ethical sourcing, gun control, and racial equality. Earlier this year, there was even discussion that CEO Howard Schultz could become the "liberal Donald Trump," though Schultz ultimately reported he was not running for president.