Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018
President Trump has weighed in on Apple’s “culture of belonging” with a single post to Truth Social — and it’s about what you’d expect.
On Tuesday, Apple held its annual shareholder meeting for 2025. As expected, the company covered many topics, including a DEI-related proposal from conservative-think tank National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR).
CEO Tim Cook told shareholders the company would rather maintain its current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program and its associated policies and hiring practices. The shareholders overwhelmingly voted to maintain current practices.
Unsurprisingly, President Trump has taken to Truth Social to give his opinion on the matter.
Trump blasts Apple on Truth Social
Cook had predicted that this would likely happen. He preemptively told shareholders the company would only change its policies if it were legally obligated to.
“As the legal landscape around this issue 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,” said Cook. He added that the company would continue to work on “a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work.”
Apple’s stance on its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies has remained strong and consistent over the years. In fact, Cook credited this as one of the reasons the company is successful.
And, with a $3.7 trillion market cap as of February 26, it’s hard to argue.
Apple maintains that there are no DEI-related hiring quotas.
Whether or not this will result in an executive order or law change remains to be seen. However, given Trump’s propensity for signing executive orders, it wouldn’t be surprising if he sought to exterminate DEI country-wide in the immediate future.
Recently, Trump has called for the end of DEI programs in both the government and private sector, claiming that the practices discriminate against other Americans. Many US companies, including the likes of Meta, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs, have all rolled back or outright ended their DEI programs to gain the favor of the Trump administration.
