CEOs view Trumps DEI ban as opportunity to get away from woke policies at their own companies: Robby Starbuck

CEOs are feeling unburdened by what has been (as Kamala Harris would put it) — that is, the diversity, equity and inclusion policies that were de rigueur under the Biden administration.Just a week after President Trump signed an executive order banning DEI programs in the federal government, some executives are privately rejoicing that it could give them cover to roll back the most progressive policies at their companies. “It’s back to the future — meritocracy is back,” one executive at a publicly traded company said.“We aren’t going to have to base hiring on diversity, but competence.” This person added that, for the first time in over a decade, he believes he will be able to make the case to his board that DEI doesn’t need to be a priority.“Executives see this as an opportunity to get away from these woke policies because, in reality, a competent CEO has realized that DEI has lost money,” Robby Starbuck told NYNext. The corporate activist has leveraged his large following on X to pressure brands such as Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Ford and Nissan to alter or eliminate their DEI initiatives.

Following a November campaign by Starbuck, Walmart pulled out of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and vowed not to carry chest binders marketed to children.Organizations like the National Center for Public Policy Research and the National Legal and Policy Center have also begun waging public opinion wars against woke policies.And, during a virtual speech to Davos attendees last week, President Trump slammed Bank of America and Chase for alleged discrimination against conservatives — a move that could nudge the his supporters to bank elsewhere.It’s not just boycotts making CEOs weary.

The legal implications of continuing certain DEI policies, such as hiring quotas, are also a growing concern, as the Department of Justice could potentially launch investigations or even lawsuits if companies violate anti-discrimi...