Trump Urges Apple to Scrap Diversity Policies After Shareholders Approve Them

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Apple to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, a day after the tech giant’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly to uphold them despite mounting conservative opposition.

Major US companies, including Meta and Alphabet, have scaled back DEI initiatives following Trump’s return to the presidency. He has criticised such policies as discriminatory and suggested the Department of Justice could investigate whether they violate the law.

“Apple should get rid of DEI rules, not just make adjustments to them. DEI was a hoax that has been very bad for our country. DEI is gone!!!” Trump wrote in an all-caps post on Truth Social.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tuesday’s shareholder vote at Apple’s annual meeting was seen as a key test of corporate support for DEI initiatives, which many firms expanded in 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter movement. Supporters argue these policies address longstanding bias and discrimination, while critics claim they could lead to legal challenges, especially after recent changes in discrimination laws.

Since taking office in January, Trump has issued an executive order to dismantle DEI efforts across the federal government and private sector, arguing they undermine merit-based hiring and discriminate against certain groups, including white people and men.

Apple has maintained that it exercises legal oversight to mitigate risks and defended its DEI initiatives, which do not impose hiring quotas but focus on programmes such as a racial justice initiative supporting historically Black colleges and universities in the US.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reaffirmed the company’s commitment to diversity at Tuesday’s meeting, stating, “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.”

However, Cook acknowledged that the company might need to adapt. “As the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our North Star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver,” he said.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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