Pro- or anti-Trump? Businesses pushed to pick a side

Companies are feeling political pressure like never before, squeezed on one side by consumers who are boycotting products with any ties to the administration and on the other by the outspoken, social media-loving president.

For most companies, the decision to get political used to be made after long, careful deliberations among a company's leader, public relations team, lawyers and lobbyists.

Each business now has to look at where their customer fits into the political divide and how their company values align to what the president is doing on a day-to-day basis.

Trump said he'd be seeking guidance on his plans to roll back the financial services legislation known as the Dodd-Frank bill from JP Morgan's Dimon.

Shannon Coulter, one of the organizers of the Grab Your Wallet social media effort to encourage boycotts of companies tied to Trump, said she would only be satisfied when Kalanick resigned from the presidential forum, saying: This is not a 'seat at the table' moment.

Linda Bean, one of many family members involved in the company, gave money to a pro-Trump super PAC during the campaign, prompting Grab Your Wallet to call for a boycott, which in turn prompted Trump to weigh in with a bit of social-media marketing.

When they make a move that could be perceived as a knock on the president, companies like Nordstrom must calculate not only the financial impact of angering Trump supporters but also the possibility that Trump himself could take notice — spiraling the crisis to another level.

Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., said CEOs are especially vulnerable now because technology allows people to protest and vent their anger without organizing a march, or even leaving their home.