With less than two weeks in office, President Donald Trump has already cut federal DEI programs and rescinded an equal opportunity policy for federal contractors that dates back to 1965. While the president has not signed anything targeting private companies, employers are clearly reaching a crossroads.
Big names like Target, Walmart, Meta and Amazon have announced plans to pull back their diversity initiatives, while companies like Costco, Goldman Sachs and Apple have publicly defended their inclusivity efforts in the workplace. The Trump administration argues that DEI programs are inherently discriminatory, particularly against white candidates and workers, echoing the reasoning behind the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to rule against the use of affirmative action in admission decisions in colleges and universities.
