President Donald Trump called on Apple to “get rid” of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) rules in an all-caps post to Truth Social on Wednesday morning.
“Apple should get rid of DEI rules, not just make adjustments to them,” the president wrote. “DEI was a hoax that has been very bad for our country. DEI is gone!!!”
The post comes just two days after the president thanked the company and CEO Tim Cook for investing $500 billion into its U.S. operations, including building a new factory in Texas. It also comes at a time when DEI is a major topic, both for Apple and in the cultural zeitgeist.
Apple shareholders on Tuesday rejected a plan to scrap the company’s DEI programs. Prior to that, Cook told investors the company had “never had quotas” for hiring minorities, but that its “North Star of dignity and respect for everyone” would “never waver.”
Apple, with a market cap of $3.6 trillion, is the world’s most valuable company.
President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 22 titled “Protecting Civil Rights and Expanding Individual Opportunity.” The order “terminates ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ discrimination in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending.”
By canceling federal DEI programs, the order said it was “restoring the values of individual dignity, hard work and excellence,” which are “fundamental to American greatness.”
The political and cultural shift against DEI has led a number of companies, including Pepsi, Amazon, Target and Disney to scale back their DEI plans.
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