Trump calls for end to DEI programs
President Donald Trump is calling for an end to federal diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs.
Fox – Seattle
Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “woke”?
Consumers’ Research is taking aim at the powerful business lobby’s statements on diversity, equity and inclusion and at the DEI initiatives it abandoned after the November presidential election, alleging the Chamber of Commerce protects “woke political goals, not consumers.”
The nonprofit group, which says it advocates for free markets and corporate accountability, pointed to the Chamber of Commerce’s statement on its website that “diversity is America’s strength,” making the economy “the most vibrant and dynamic in history.”
“When businesses recognize and embrace different perspectives, they are better able to create value, serve customers, support employees and solve problems,” the website says. “By providing opportunities for everyone, businesses help lift communities and strengthen the health, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation and our society.”
The Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest business lobbying groups in the United States, accused Consumers’ Research of dredging up DEI initiatives in a tussle over litigation reform.
At issue is the Chamber of Commerce’s support of the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025, which would require greater disclosures about who is funding lawsuits. Some conservative organizations have objected to the legislation, saying it could make it harder for people to hold “woke” companies accountable.
“Make no mistake, this attack has nothing to do with policy and has everything to do with trial lawyer greed,” Stephen Waguespack, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Just days after George Floyd’s murder, the Chamber of Commerce launched a national initiative to address America’s deep racial divides. The message at the time: “Equality of opportunity” is everybody’s business.
“We fundamentally believe that all Americans should have the opportunity to earn their success, rise on their own merits and live the American dream. But we know today that is not the case,” then-CEO Tom Donohue told attendees at a town hall in June 2020, calling on them to bulldoze barriers for Black Americans and other people of color.
Shortly before President Donald Trump took office in January, the high-profile campaign vanished. The webpage touting the Equality of Opportunity Initiative began redirecting to the Chamber of Commerce’s home page.
The retreat showed how dramatically corporate America has shifted in less than five years, Daniel Kinderman, a political science professor at the University of Delaware who studied the initiative, told USA TODAY in February.
