Aim to end DEI policies as Trump threatens businesses

On By Littum

Days after President Trump ordered federal agencies to investigate private sector entities for “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Target has become the latest major company to back down on DEI

Target announced Friday that it will end its DEI measures and will no longer participate in outside diversity-focused surveys, including sharing data with the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit group that tracks corporate LGBTQ policies.

“As a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape,” Kiera Fernandez, Chief Community Impact and Equity Officer for Target, wrote in a memo.

Target joins a rapidly growing group of companies dropping diversity commitments and policies as Mr. Trump is making it clear that he intends to fight Dei, in the federal government and beyond. Last summer, Tractor Supply, John Deere and Harley-Davidson dropped DEI programs, partly in response to threats of boycotts led by conservative activist Robby Starbuck. Recently, other companies have also rolled back diversity programs, including Meta, Walmart and Amazon.

JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank by assets, has so far taken a different tack, with its CEO, Jamie Dimon, announcing this week that the bank has no intention of cracking down on diversity. “Bring them on,” he said in an interview with CNBC, referring to the activists agitating against the bank’s DEI programs. Costco has also fought for changes. On Thursday, its shareholders rejected a proposal brought by a conservative group that would have required the company to report the risk of its DEI policies.

After the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, as many companies pledged to fight racial injustice, Target CEO Brian Cornell responded emotionally and committed to spending $2 billion with black-owned businesses by 2025.

“I remember gathering my black officers right after George Floyd’s murder,” Mr. Cornell said on CBS News. “These team members had tears in their eyes and they told me how it affected them, their families.”

Target, headquartered in Minneapolis, has had a tough time in the market. A weak earnings report in November sent investors fleeing.