These 34 major companies caved to Trump and rolled back DEI programs

These companies are turning away from DEI

Major corporations are using Donald Trump's executive orders as an excuse to end their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — but the attacks on DEI started long before he took office.

Trump signed executive orders in February calling for the termination of all DEI positions in the federal government and directing private companies to abandon the practices. He also rescinded Lyndon B. Johnson's Executive Order 11246, which went far beyond DEI by implementing civil rights protections that prevented the federal government from discriminating "against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

Related: What is DEI, what does it mean, and why are companies really getting rid of it?

However, Trump's executive orders do not overturn federal anti-discrimination laws, nor do they stop private companies from implementing any policies related to DEI, as they are not law. That still hasn't stopped corporations from overturning DEI even before his campaign.

Fringe right-wing extremists online have been railing against DEI for over a year now, and one of the loudest has been Robby Starbuck, a failed filmmaker and failed congressional candidate. He objects to companies sponsoring Pride events, supporting transgender employees, taking action against climate change, and more. Oh, and he thinks toxic chemicals turn people queer and that the COVID-19 vaccine is what killed Matthew Perry.

As the anti-DEI movement grows, here’s a look at some of the major companies capitulating and turning away from inclusive practices.

Accenture

Accenture, a professional services firm with nearly 800,000 employees internationally, was one of the first companies to cave to Trump's executive orders in early February. Chief Executive Officer Julie Sweet said in a memo to staff, obtained by Bloomberg, that it would be ending its DEI practices because the company had "largely achieved the goals it put in place."

“We are and always have been a meritocracy,” Sweet said, claiming that the decision came “as a result of our continued evaluation of our internal policies and practices and the evolving landscape in the United States, including recent Executive Orders with which we must comply.”

Aldi's

Aldi's quietly removed all evidence of its DEI programs from its websites in January without making a public statement, as first reported by Fortune.

The grocery chain removed its "Aldinclusive" section, which claimed “diversity strengthens us" and outlined the companies initiatives, including resources and internships for employees, as well as its decades-long support for the United Negro College Fund and its $5.5 million DEI Philanthropic Fund.

Amazon

Amazon quietly removed several policies from its public websites aimed at protecting workers, including "solidarity" pledges with its Black employees and health care benefits for transgender workers, according to The Washington Post.

The changes include several to policy, as well as department titles. A section previously called “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” is now “Inclusive Experiences and Technology,” and the section “advance DEI through technology” is now a pledge to “advance the employee experience.”

One of the removed policies includes an outline of the gender-affirming care benefits provided to employees under Amazon's health care plan, which it said were "based on the Standards of Care published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).” Also removed was the company's pledge that it is “working at the U.S. federal and state level on legislation” that would provide anti-discrimination protections for transgender people.

Though Amazon previously stated that it stood "in solidarity" with its Black employees, the company also removed that section, as well as one claiming to support “legislation to combat misconduct and racial bias in policing, efforts to protect and expand voting rights, and initiatives that provide better health and educational outcomes for Black people.”

Amtrak

As a government-funded service, Amtrak announced to employees in February that it would end its DEI practices after Trump's executive orders, while also mandating employees return to in-person offices, as first reported by Bloomberg.

Amtrak's initiatives previously included efforts to hire diverse employees and provide employees with resource groups, according to the company’s 2023 diversity report.

Bank of America

Bank of America also rolled back its DEI initiatives in response to Trump's orders, as an anonymous source told Bloomberg in February that the bank will no longer have “aspirational” goals. The company's annual report replaced references to the word “diversity" with “talent” and “opportunity.”

“We evaluate and adjust our programs in light of new laws, court decisions and, more recently, executive orders from the new administration,” a representative for Bank of America said. “Our goal has been and continues to be to make opportunities available for all of our clients, shareholders, teammates and the communities we serve.”

BlackRock

Investment management company BlackRock was once a pioneer of DEI. Following Trump's orders, the company quietly cut references to its DEI strategies in its annual report in February, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink had previously written in a 2021 letter to shareholders: “Just as we ask of other companies, we have a long-term strategy aimed at improving diversity, equity and inclusion at BlackRock. To truly drive change, we must embed DEI into everything we do.”

The company has now scrubbed all references to DEI from its websites and filings, with a new paragraph about inclusion that reads: "BlackRock’s approach to building a connected and inclusive culture is aligned with the firm’s business priorities and long-term objectives. Delivering for the firm’s clients requires attracting the best people from across the world. BlackRock is committed to creating an environment that supports top talent and fosters diverse perspectives to avoid groupthink."

Brown-Forman

Brown-Forman, the maker of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and other beverages, told its employees in an August email that it would no longer participate in initiatives like the HRC index and that it would end "quantitative workforce and supplier diversity ambitions."

"We will continue to foster an inclusive work environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, and able to bring their best self to work," the message from executive leadership stated. "We know it will not be easy to navigate the road ahead, but please know our deep belief in, and respect for, each of you remains constant."

Citigroup

Citigroup was among several companies “removing or watering down” language around their DEI efforts, anonymous sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal in February. A few days later, Bloombergreported the company officially renamed its “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Talent Management” team to “Talent Management and Engagement,” and it ended its diversity hiring goals.

“The recent changes in US federal government policy, including new requirements that apply to all federal contractors, call for changes to some of the global strategies and programs we’ve used to attract and support colleagues from various backgrounds,” CEO Jane Fraser said in a memo to employees.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola warned in an annual filing that abandoning DEI could hurt business, stating its diverse employee base “helps drive a culture of inclusion, innovation and growth,” and if the company doesn’t reflect the “broad range of consumers and markets we serve around the world, our business could be negatively affected.”

Nonetheless, Bloomberg reported in February that Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. intended to abandon their DEI initiatives after Trump's orders. Chief Financial Officer John Murphy said the company is “focused on having the best talent around the world,” but he added it will “of course, follow any change in regulations at the national level.”

Constellation Brands Inc.

The brewer of Corona and Modelo Especial beer in April renamed its DEI team to “inclusive culture,” rewrote its supplier diversity goals to only include small businesses, and ended participation in Human Rights Campaign surveys, as Bloomberg reported.

The company told the outlet that it accelerated announcing its decision after being contacted by Starbuck, who also criticized it for brewing in Mexico. In rolling back DEI, Constellation did not end operations outside the U.S.

Disney

Disney renamed its “Diversity & Inclusion” employee evaluation to “Talent Strategy,” while getting rid of its Reimagine Tomorrow initiative and its website, which was used to highlight stories and talent from underrepresented communities, as first reported by Axios.

The company also changed some of the content disclaimers on Disney+ before older films, which it started implementing in 2020. Instead of saying that the content "includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures," the warnings now read: "This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions."

However, Disney shareholders voted overwhelmingly to continue the company’s participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which measures businesses’ support for LGBTQ+ causes

Ford Motor Co.

An internal memo was leaked the last week in August that said Ford, which has nearly 200,000 employees, will back away from commenting publicly “on the many polarizing issues of the day,” although there may be times when it’s necessary, and that executives had already decided not to participate in external surveys such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

The memo said the company remains committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive workplace” but has more work to do in this area. “We are mindful that our employees and customers hold a wide range of beliefs, and the external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to evolve,” it stated.

HRC President Kelley Robinson condemned the move. “Today, Ford Motor Company abandoned its commitment to hundreds of thousands of employees by cowering to internet troll Robby Starbuck, and signaling that inclusion and other core values are no longer a priority in the workplace,” her statement said.

HRC also noted that the organization “evaluates every Fortune 500 company on issues of equality, whether or not that company submits additional information to HRC about its priorities and progress.”

Gannett

America’s largest newspaper chain said in April that it would no longer publish demographic and diversity data about its workforce and would remove mentions of diversity from its website, Nieman Lab first reported. A spokesperson told the outlet that the changes were “adapting to the evolving regulatory environment,” which they defined as Trump's push to end “private sector DEI discrimination.”

“While we will no longer publish workforce demographic metrics or sustainability and inclusion reports, Gannett is deeply committed to our ethical business model ... based on treating all our employees with respect and ensuring a culture of belonging,” CCO Lark-Marie Antón said.

Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs dropped an entire section dedicated to "diversity and inclusion" from its annual filing after its previously set five-year "aspirational hiring and representation goals" was set to expire, as first reported by Reuters.

"We have made certain adjustments to reflect developments in the law in the U.S.," CEO David Solomon said in a statement, citing Trump's executive orders.

Google

Google announced in February that it would be purging its DEI initiatives, including its efforts to hire more employees from underrepresented backgrounds, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

NBC also reported that Google changed its diversity website in week prior, including by renaming an executive’s position from “Chief Diversity Officer” to “VP, People Operations.”

Hard hiring quotas for workplaces are already illegal in the United States under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972.

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, the iconic motorcycle company, also issued a memo in August, saying it was pulling out of the HRC index and that it would ensure that employee training will remain "absent of socially motivated content."

“We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community,” company officials wrote. “As a company, we take this issue very seriously, and it is our responsibility to respond with clarity, action and facts.”

“We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as one Harley-Davidson,” they added. “United We Ride.”

"Putting politics ahead of workers and consumers only hurts the same folks that these businesses rely on," said Eric Bloem, HRC vice president of programs and corporate advocacy. "Harley-Davidson’s choice to back away from the Corporate Equality Index is an impulsive decision fueled by fringe right-wing actors and MAGA extremists who believe they can bully their way into dismantling initiatives that help everyone thrive in the workplace."

IBM

International Business Machines Corp. in April stopped tying executive compensation to workforce diversity goals, and changed its supplier diversity program to focus on small businesses and veteran-led companies instead of race and gender, as first reported by Bloomberg.

“IBM’s talent strategy is driven by the principle of having the best people with the skills to serve our clients,” the company said in a statement. “It is the policy of this organization to hire the people who have the personality, talent and background necessary to fill a given job, regardless of race, color or creed.”

John Deere

John Deere, one of the nation’s leading farm equipment manufacturers, announced in July, “We will no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events. Business Resource Groups will exclusively be focused on professional development, networking, mentoring, and supporting talent recruitment efforts. Auditing all company-mandated training materials and policies to ensure the absence of socially motivated messages, while being in compliance with federal, state, and local laws. Reaffirming within the business that the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.”

Starbuck celebrated Deere’s decision, while HRC called it “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business.”

Lowe's

An internal memo from home improvement retailer Lowe’s, obtained by multiple news outlets in August, informed employees that the company will no longer participate in the HRC’s Corporate Equality index and that its internal employee support resources for those belonging to minority groups will all be combined into one umbrella program. The company also said it would end its sponsorship of and participation in community events such as parades, festivals, or fairs — referring to LGBTQ+ Pride parades.

Again, Starbuck praised the move and HRC denounced it. "Hasty, shortsighted decisions contrary to safe and inclusive workplaces will create a snowball effect of negative long-term consequences for companies, cutting them off from top talent, turning off LGBTQ+ and other consumers, and impacting companies' bottom line," said Orlando Gonzales, HRC’s senior vice president of programs, research, and training.

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball removed all references to “diversity” from its MLB Careers home page in March, as first reported by cupofcoffeenews.com, citing Trump's executive order.

“Our values on diversity remain unchanged,” MLB said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We are in the process of evaluating our programs for any modifications to eligibility criteria that are needed to ensure our programs are compliant with federal law as they continue forward.”

McDonald's

Mcdonald's announced that it will be making several changes to its practices, including "retiring setting aspirational representation goals," ceasing DEI requirements for its suppliers, and "pausing external surveys" focused on inclusion, including the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The company also said it will be changing the name of its diversity team to the Global Inclusion Team, which it said it "more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value."

McDonald's stated that it was motivated to make the changes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, as it "assessed the shifting legal landscape to anticipate how this ruling may impact corporations such as McDonald’s."

The company also said that it considered the actions of other corporations that have cut DEI efforts, some of which include Walmart and John Deere, and "benchmarked our approach to other companies who are also re-evaluating their own programs."

Meta

Almost immediately after announcing new content rules that allow users to abuse LGBTQ+ people, Meta announced that it would be ending all of its major DEI programs effectively immediately. The company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads sent out an internal memo obtained by Axios, which will affect both hiring and training practices, as well as its decisions on which suppliers to work with.

The changes include completely axing Meta's DEI team — the company's chief diversity officer, Maxine Williams, will enter a new role focused on "accessibility and engagement." Instead of prioritizing partnering with diverse businesses, Meta will "focus our efforts on supporting small and medium-sized businesses that power much of our economy."

Instead of inclusion-based efforts, the company would be creating programs "that focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background." Meta will also be ending its representation goals, which vice president of human resources Janelle Gale claimed "can create the impression that decisions are being made based on race or gender," adding, "While this has never been our practice, we want to eliminate any impression of it."

Molson Coors 

The company sent a notice to employees in early September that revealed it will no longer have specific “representation goals” for its employees and suppliers, nor will it be participating in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, in which it previously had a perfect rating. It will also no longer be sponsoring events such as Pride celebrations.

Paramount

Paramount announced in February that it would no longer use diversity targets in hiring, and began removing DEI language from its website. An internal company memo, obtained by The New York Times, cited Trump's executive orders, stating they “require changes in the way the company approaches inclusion moving forward.”

“With our business objectives firmly in mind, we will continue to evaluate our programs and approach to ensure that we are widening our aperture to attract talent from all geographies, backgrounds and perspectives,” the memo said. “That may mean expanding existing programs while ending others.”

PBS

PBS announced in February that it would be closing its DEI office in response to Trump's executive orders. The company said in a statement to NPR: "In order to best ensure we are in compliance with the President's executive order around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion we have closed our DEI office."

"The staff members who served in that office are leaving PBS," it continued. "We will continue to adhere to our mission and values. PBS will continue to reflect all of America and remain a welcoming place for everyone."

Trump would later, in May, sign an executive order to completely defund PBS and NPR.

Pepsi

Pepsi wrote in its investor report last year that DEI is a “competitive advantage.” In February, Bloomberg reported that Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. intended to abandon their DEI initiatives after Trump's orders, citing Pepsi's annual filing from this year in which the company removed references to “diversity, equity and inclusion” and its “diverse workforce.”

The move was celebrated by Starbuck, who said he contacted the company about “doing a story about their woke policies.”

State Street

The asset management company behind the “Fearless Girl” statue in Manhattan dropped targets for hiring women and minority directors in February after a rule requiring boards in major indexes to be 30 percent women and S&P 500 companies to have at least one racial minority director was dropped.

"We annually review our proxy voting and engagement policy to ensure alignment with global protocols and local laws and regulations, guided by our core principles of effective board oversight, disclosure, and shareholder protection and a singular focus on value creation," a representative told Reuters.

Target

The company issued a memo January 24, available to read on social media, announcing the conclusion three-year diversity, equity and inclusion goals. The company also said it will end its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) program sometime this year.

The corporation also specially said it will be “stopping all external diversity-focused survey’s including HRC’s Corporate Equality index.”

The company memo also said target will be “evolving” a Supplier Diversity program to instead focus just on Supplier Engagement, a move intended to “better reflect our inclusive global procurement process across a broad range of suppliers, including increasing our focus on small businesses.”

Toyota Motor Corp.

Toyota Motor Corp. announced in early October that it was refocusing its DEI programs and ceasing sponsorship of LGBTQ+ events. In a letter to Toyota's 50,000 U.S. employees and 1,500 dealers, company leaders cited a "highly politicized discussion" about DEI and said the automaker would “narrow our community activities to align with STEM education and workforce readiness,” as first reported by the Bloomberg news service. They also said Toyota would no longer participate in the HRC Corporate Equality Index.

The announcement came a week after Starbuck initiated a social media campaign against Toyota's sponsorship of LGBTQ+ events. Corporate officials said LGBTQ+ employee groups were responsible for these activities, not the company itself. But nevertheless Toyota has ended these relationships. An spokesperson told Bloomberg that Starbuck's campaign prompted some questions from employees, dealers, and customers, but said that did not figure significantly in Toyota's decision.

“Short-sighted decisions to abandon DEI initiatives will have a lasting, negative impact on business success in a future where more people than ever are identifying as LGBTQ+,” Eric Bloem, a vice president at HRC, told Bloomberg in response to Starbuck's campaign.

Tractor Supply Co.

Tractor Supply Co., the Tennessee-based animal feed and farm retailer, announced in June — LGBTQ+ Pride Month — that it was abandoning all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives following a barrage of pressure from far-right activists.

The changes include halting data submissions to the Human Rights Campaign, refocusing Team Member Engagement Groups on mentoring and networking, eliminating DEI roles, retiring current DEI goals, and shifting environmental focus from carbon emissions to land and water conservation. The company will cease sponsoring nonbusiness activities like Pride festivals and voting campaigns.

Starbuck had posted a lengthy critique of the company on X earlier in the month. “It’s time to expose Tractor Supply,” Starbuck began, listing grievances such as “LGBTQIA+ training for employees, funding pride/drag events, a DEI Council, funding sex changes, climate change activism, Pride month decorations in the office, DEI hiring practices, and LGBTQIA+ events at work.” He accused the company’s CEO, Hal Lawton, of promoting “woke priorities” that do not align with Tractor Supply’s customer base.

“Tractor Supply Co. is turning its back on their own neighbors with this shortsighted decision,” HRC’s Bloem said. “LGBTQ+ people live in every zip code in this country, including rural communities. Companies from every industry work closely with us to be sure their employees and customers are respected, valued and can get the job done for their workforce and shareholders. Caving to far-right extremists is only going to hurt the same folks that these businesses rely on.”

UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group quietly removed all mentions of its DEI initiatives in March and replaced it with vague language about fostering a “culture of belonging,” TechCrunch first reported.

UnitedHealth spokesperson Tyler Mason told the outlet: “We comply with existing and emerging laws while striving to support what is best for the communities we serve. Our values of supporting a collaborative environment where we treat each other with mutual respect continue to be part of our culture and fundamental to expanding access to health care services.”

Victoria's Secret

Victoria’s Secret & Co. ended its promotion goal for Black workers and altered its DEI initiatives to use vague language such as “inclusion and belonging,” Bloomberg first reported in March. The lingerie retailer also completely erased a section of its website outlining supplier diversity.

Chief Executive Officer Hillary Super told employees in a memo obtained by the outlet that Victoria’s Secret would continue “to ensure our global team is inclusive of a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives," and create “a culture of fairness and opportunity for all.”

Walmart

Walmart announced it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, will make changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, and will monitor its marketplace to ensure “inappropriate sexual and/or transgender products” are not marketed to children, USA Today reports.

Walmart confirmed changes to its policies in a statement provided to the media, and conservative activist Robby Starbuck claimed responsibility for the changes in a post to social media.

The far-right extremist claimed on social media that he reached out to Walmart himself and that the announcement came after he met with Walmart representatives.

Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. announced via an internal memo obtained by Variety in February that it would be renaming its DEI resources to just “inclusion,” ending participation in external diversity surveys such as the HRC Corporate Equality Index, and implementing a “uniform and consistent application process” throughout the company.

Executives said that the changes “better aligns our language with our focus throughout our company, in our industry, and across our content," adding, "We’re updating the language we use to ensure the intent and impact of our actions are clear; you will see this new approach being updated on wbd.com as well as on our internal channels.”