Where are the CEOs? This lament has been repeated frequently in the weeks since Donald Trump took office. Where are the CEOs speaking up for diversity, equity, inclusion? Where are the CEOs demonstrating outrage at crippling, world-upending tariffs? Where are the CEOs providing leadership to their staff, customers and consumers? Where are the CEOs standing out against hate and the vilification of immigrants?
The CEOs of corporate America could wield enormous influence. Why are they mainly silent?
Let’s set aside the tech bros like Zuckerberg (Meta), Bezos (Amazon), Altman (OpenAI), Pichai (Google), Huang (Nvidia), Cook (Apple), Thiel (Palantir). Their corruption and self-interest seems to know no bounds. And I’m not going to even mention the head of DOGE by name.
Instead, let’s consider a list of the largest American companies by market cap. Don’t worry, I’m not going to list all 100 – just some well-known names for illustration purposes.
- Eli Lilly
- Walmart
- JP Morgan Chase
- Visa and Mastercard
- Exxon
- Netflix
- Costco
- Oracle
- Procter & Gamble
- United Health
- Home Depot
- Coca Cola
- McDonald
- IBM
- Walt Disney
- Boeing
- Lowe’s
- Starbucks
- … the list goes on
Have they spoken out against Donald Trump’s actions? I don’t think so. Have they banded together to block some of the more significant attacks on American citizens and institutions? I don’t think so.
Now, let’s look at Project 2025 objectives that might provide us with a clue as to why:
- Deregulate Industry – because citizens, other countries, and the environment don’t need to be protected, do they?
- Discontinue climate change research and environmental protection – because there’s no such thing as climate change, as you know, and the environment doesn’t need our protection.
- Limit the ability of unions to protect workers’ rights – I can think of several companies that would gladly get rid of their unions and the higher wages or other protections that they negotiate.
- Legalize and encourage employment-based discrimination – and make way for corrupt employment practices!
- Disengage economically from China – now that could be a big benefit for US companies.
- Deregulate food production and discontinue any efforts towards sustainability – we want children eating unhealthy food and families buying foods with too much salt and sugar or foods containing salmonella, don’t we?
- Discontinue all federal funding into research and development of renewable energy – Exxon and others will love that. Drill baby drill, as Donald Trump is fond of saying.
- Eliminate energy efficiency standards for appliances – companies that manufacture such appliances are applauding.
- Reduce the corporate tax rate to 18% … bring it on, corporate America shouts! Let’s be the country with one of the lowest corporate tax rates so we can put more money into the hands of our shareholders. (See list of countries and their corporate tax rates here.)
- Repeal Dodd-Frank regulations on big banks – now that’s a must have if you’re in the banking sector. Forget about the chaos of 2008 and the recession brought about by bad practices in the financial industry.
- Eliminate the dual mandate as it pertains to the Federal Reserve by dropping the mandate on employment and focusing only on inflation – who cares about jobs for the middle class or the working class or newly graduated students!
- Stop prosecuting violations of campaign finance law – money makes the world go around, especially in politics. What’s good for business is good for everyone, isn’t it?
Well now, that’s quite the list.
I could go on, as I’ve done in previous posts, to list everything Trump & Co have already done in support of each of these objectives, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
BTW – corporate America has spoken up against tariffs because those are bad for … corporate America (!!) and for their stock prices. Not because they will hurt average Americans through higher costs, not because they will damage the economies of many countries (like Canada where I live), not because they believe America should honour its trade treaties.
And a second BTW – few corporations spoke out when Trump & Co went after DEI or immigrants or the Dept of Education. You get the point.
Remember who the authors of Project 2025 are. Remember also that several of those who contributed – I’m looking at you Russell Vought, JD Vance, Karoline Leavitt, John Ratcliffe, Stephen Miller, Tom Homan, Brendan Carr (and there are probably more) – are now part of Donald Trump’s administration.
Shocking but true.
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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on her website www.mktod.com or by leaving a comment.
2 Responses
the CEOs are confronting Mump privately. I read about how they have told him many times they are distressed over the tariffs and stock dives. they’re not people who do things in public, like demonstrate with signs; they use their power to try and persuade the Prez in private. Not working, I know, but neither are the demonstrations, except for Kahlil’s release.
Thanks for your comment, Sheila. While they may be doing this in private, I believe the public needs to hear about it, needs the reassurance that they are not alone and that their efforts to resist Trump 2.0 have support. CEOs have power – one aspect of that power is communicating to consumers that the actions of the administration are not acceptable, indeed I believe it is their duty to do so.