28 Feb 61% of Americans Believe DEI Will Take a Backseat Under Trump
“My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense,”[1] U.S. President Trump said in a January speech to a crowded room of global elites at the World Economic Forum’s annual summit in Davos, Switzerland.
Mr. Trump has been in a seesaw battle over DEI, signing anti-DEI executive orders on January 20[2] and 21[3]. A month later, federal Judge Adam Abelson blocked parts of Mr. Trump’s executive orders.[4]
Since Mr. Trump’s election win in November last year, some leading U.S. companies, including Accenture, Amazon, and Meta, have been ending diversity programs, in anticipation of a Trump presidency.[5]
These changes by U.S. companies to adapt to the current administration—often citing legal risks—have not gone unnoticed among the American public. So, what do Americans make of these shifting tides?
Our own research[6], conducted in February 2025, found that three out of five Americans (61%) think companies will focus less on hiring diverse employees while President Trump is in office. Only 36% of Americans think the government is making decisions that will improve their lives, while 44% think otherwise.
U.S. companies may find themselves caught between the current administration and the public. Cynicism is strong, as nearly three out of five Americans (58%) think companies will change their values to match the views of the current government. Some companies, such as Costco, Microsoft, and McKinsey, have so far stuck to their stance on DEI, so the shift has not been universal.
But for those that have reversed course on DEI, do the changes matter? At the end of 2024, we asked Americans about the most important issues for companies to focus on in 2025. The number one issue was integrity.
Unfortunately, integrity is rarely convenient, but those brands that cultivate it will win the respect of the public and their employees.
[1] Associate Press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C68HcB4_i3g
[2] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/29/2025-01953/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing
[3] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02097/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity
[4] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-blocks-parts-trump-dei-executive-orders-citing-free-speech
[5] https://www.axios.com/2025/01/16/dei-rollback-companies-amazon-meta-mcdonalds
[6] Reputation Pulse 8, February 2025, Reputation Leaders