For the fact is that the Europeans are still a long way from building up a military clout that could even remotely match (never say rival) that of the United States.
Not necessarily, but failure to make the list of an opinion leader that commands such a big clout among consumers could certainly generate negative WOM and buzz that could eventually undermined sales, leading to the eventual fall of the brand.
The fact is that this congressman from the smog capital of North America has a lot of clout in Washington and the Administration has been placed in a difficult position by his very public, very strident stance.