Trump urges Apple to abandon its diversity policies following shareholder approval

Apple has been urged by President Donald Trump to revoke its diversity policy after the measures were approved by shareholders.

A day after the tech giant’s shareholders decisively decided to maintain its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the face of growing conservative opposition, US President Donald Trump called on Apple on Wednesday to do away with them.

Since Trump’s return to the presidency, major US corporations have reduced their DEI activities, including Meta and Alphabet. He has called these measures discriminatory and proposed that the Department of Justice look into whether they are illegal.

“Apple ought completely eliminate the DEI regulations rather than merely modify them. Our nation has suffered greatly as a result of the DEI deception. DEI has vanished! Trump posted on Truth Social in all uppercase.

A request for comment from Apple was not immediately answered.

A crucial test of corporate support for DEI projects, which several businesses extended in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, was Tuesday’s shareholder vote at Apple’s annual meeting. Critics assert that these measures may give rise to legal problems, particularly in light of recent revisions in discrimination laws, while supporters contend that they address historical bias and discrimination.

Trump has issued an executive order to dismantle DEI initiatives throughout the federal government and commercial sector since taking office in January, claiming they discriminate against specific groups, such as men and white people, and undercut merit-based employment.

Apple has defended its DEI projects, which do not impose hiring quotas but instead concentrate on programs like a racial justice initiative supporting historically Black schools and universities in the US, and insisted that it uses legal oversight to reduce risks.

“Apple’s strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate,” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, who reiterated the company’s commitment to diversity at Tuesday’s meeting.

Cook did concede, though, that the business might have to change. “Our North Star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver,” he stated, adding that we might need to make certain adjustments to conform as the legal environment surrounding these concerns develops.