Raw Story: 'A high-stakes game of chicken': Corporations warned to keep their distance from Trump

[Dennis Donovan]

Raw Story - 'A high-stakes game of chicken': Corporations warned to keep their distance from Trump

Tom Boggioni
March 23, 2025 9:20AM ET

Corporations believing boycotts related to bowing down to Donald Trump's demands are being advised that the damage to their brands could linger longer than was once believed.

The president's war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been embraced by companies including Target, Pepsi, Amazon and McDonalds which have rolled back their own programs and subsequently have led to public fury and then boycotts for abandoning their principles.

According to an exclusive report from the Guardian, there are strong indications that the boycotts are not a temporary thing and will continue to afflict the compliant companies.

As the Guardian's Lauren Aratani wrote, "One in five Americans plan to turn their backs for good on companies that have shifted their policies to align with Donald Trump’s agenda, according to a new poll for the Guardian."

The report notes the Harris poll provides indications the anti-Trump backlash could endure longer than previously predicted.

/snip

[bucolic_frolic]

1. "boycotts are not a temporary thing" because habits rule human life

Once you give up on a company you find other companies who fill your need, or you do without, or you move on to something more satisfying.

Amazing that we need consultants, high-profile journalists, pundits to figure this out.

[sop]

2. The stench will linger

I don’t get why these compnaies don’t stand up to him. What’s the worst that could happen, they lose a few angry MAGA customers? These craven appeasers will be remembered.

[Passages]

3. Trump's order to abandon fairness, equity and inclusion embraced by companies like Target ?

Likely only went along before because they believed it made them look good.

Masks came off pretty quickly on that front.

[uponit7771]

4. Yeah, this is forever for me and most of those companies till I find another supplier

[Hotler]

5. I keep getting told that boycotts don't work and are stupid.

[bdamomma]

6. Consumers

have to hit these companies hard, hit them in the pocketbook!!!!!!!! What jerks.

[CrispyQ]

7. The corpos should just tell the truth: All money is green. We don't care about anything else.

But for some stupid reason they (the BOD?) think the bigots outnumber the rest of us & I happen to think they're wrong.

Amazon will be the most difficult corp for me to boycott.

[hedda_foil]

8. Here's the original Guardian article.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/22/boycott-companies-tesla-trump-musk

[tulipsandroses]

9. A lot of MAGA's outrage is performative. While Kidd Rock was shooting beer cans online

He was still serving the same beer in his restaurant. Unlike performative outrage, this is principled. For minorities, our lives, livelihoods and freedoms are at stake. Nothing is on the line for MAGA because a trans person does an ad. Not a damn thing. Big difference.
That performative outrage is a temporary thing until faux news gives them something else to be pissed off about.

When your freedom and very life is on the line, that anger does not dissipate. If diversity is not welcomed at your company, do not expect diverse dollars. Period!

[Irish_Dem]

10. Billionaires/Corporatons realize their wealth depends upon the good will of the people?

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

11. My family, and extended family members, ALL are/have stopped buying at ....

My own family, and adult kids,

ALL are avoiding and if possible NEVER buying from the companies that bowed down
to Trump

It’s fairly easy most of the time to completely STOP going to Target,
AND will NEVER BUY A TESLA, there are so many other EVs now.
BMW and VW, and American too.

McDonalds….easy to not go there at all….rarely went there anyway,
I think last time I was there at McDonalds was at Airport, AND Airports have
other options for getting my morning coffee.

I’m working on avoiding using AMAZON services,
and avoid Whole Foods now, Whole Foods lost me when Bezos bought it,
Rarely go there, …likely Whole Foods lost me as a frequent customer, cost them
about at least $5000/yr, I easily used to spend $100 a week there

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

12. Easy to stop buying PEPSI, LAYS,

I NEVER BUY…

PEPSI
LAYS
DORITOS
MOUNTAIN DEW

That’s ALL crappy unhealthy ‘food’ anyway.
I haven’t bought any DORITOS or LAYS POTATO CHIPS in years.
LAYS, is crappy, unhealthy, too much salt and additives

Most US processed foods n drinks are BAD for you.
EXTREMELY BAD, UNHEALTHY CRAP


AND IF I want GREAT potato chips….UTZ brand, in red bag.
AND IF I want a soft drink I BUY MEXICAN COKE in a glass bottle,
Yes it’s unhealthy, but like a Mexican Coke w/ my Mexican pollo, fijoles, every so often

————-

https://apnews.com/article/diversity-dei-pepsico-coke-cocacola-a0dd81f45072536614cd27e59209c562

…….Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay’s potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company’s chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.