- Apple is fighting for DEI as its Big Tech peers pull back diversity initiatives. However, Tim Cook has said the company's approach to DEI may change to comply with the "legal landscape" under the Trump administration. Later, Trump took to Truth Social to pressure the tech giant to scrap DEI altogether.
Donald Trump is putting pressure on Apple to scrap its DEI initiatives after the company's shareholders voted in favor of continuing them.
"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!!!" the U.S. president wrote in a post.
On Tuesday, Apple's shareholders voted down an attempt to pressure the company into scrapping its DEI initiatives, but CEO Tim Cook conceded that some policies may have to change under Donald Trump.
The proposal was brought forward by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which also recently asked Costco to report on the risks of maintaining its diversity and inclusion initiatives. Costco shareholders also strongly voted against the proposal at a meeting in January.
However, following the vote, Cook said that as the "legal landscape" around diversity and inclusion issues evolves, the company "may need to make some changes to comply."
Trump order
Trump has made his battle against DEI policies a central part of his first 100 days in office. In a day-one executive order, the U.S. president ordered federal agencies and grant recipients to drop DEI offices and positions and terminate any “equality-related” grants or contracts.
Several major corporations, including Apple's Big Tech rivals, have fallen in line with the president's directive and pulled back their internal DEI efforts. Meta, Google, and Amazon have all announced they are scrapping hiring goals for historically underrepresented groups.
Apple has been a notable holdout in Silicon Valley's diversity and inclusion rollback.
At the Tuesday meeting, Cook reaffirmed the company's commitment to maintaining a culture of diversity, saying Apple's strength came from a culture where "people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together."
"We'll continue to work together to create a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work," he said, adding that Apple would remain "committed to the values that have always made us who we are."
However, he noted that Apple did not have DEI "quotas" for hiring, which has been one of the points of contention for the Trump administration.
Representatives for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment made by Fortune outside of normal working hours.
Big Tech bends the knee
Tim Cook has tried to make inroads with Donald Trump on issues outside of DEI.
The Apple CEO has tried to build up a relationship with the U.S. president through a series of meetings during Trump's first and second terms.
Days after his last meeting, Cook announced Apple would invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years amid pressure from Trump's China tariffs. The investment includes a factory in Texas and plans for about 20,000 research and development jobs across the U.S.
Trump's proposed China tariffs could cause issues for Apple, as many of its products are assembled in China and imported to the U.S. Trump has consistently urged Apple to relocate its manufacturing operations from China to the United States but granted the company certain exemptions from tariffs imposed on Chinese imports during his first term.
Cook also previously made a donation of $1 million to support President Trump's inauguration ceremony and was pictured front and center at the event alongside fellow tech leaders like Elon Musk and Sundar Pichai.
