But the letter’s notable lack of pith might make them look bad anyway, judging from some of the public response so far.
“Protests and dead people is bad for business. So please stop doing that,” said one Redditor, mocking the language used in the letter. Another called it “one of the saddest, most impotent, pointless f—ing statements of all time. If the goal was to look like spineless, limp-d— bootlicking cowards, they just put on a masterclass.”
Condemning the shooting of civilians might seem like a obvious stance to take, especially when a YouGov survey taken before Pretti’s killing showed that 58% of Americans regard ICE’s tactics as “too forceful.” But companies that have previously voiced their support for social justice issues have experienced backlashes that prompted them to walk back their positions. Target, for example, took a beating for its public celebration of the LGBT+ community.
The big-box retailer’s incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke signed the letter, but “Target does need to tread carefully on social issues so as not to alienate large customer segments,” Winder said.
But alienating customers is just one of the reasons why companies would tread lightly. The Trump administration has proven willing to use its power as a cudgel against corporations that say or do things that displease the president.
Last week, for example, Trump sued JPMorgan Chase for closing his bank accounts after the Jan. 6, 2020 Capitol insurrection. He’s gone after Meta for booting him off Instagram and Facebook (they settled for $25 million last year). The president has even banned the Associated Press from the Oval office over the wire service’s refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Even at a time when half of Americans believe the country is headed toward another civil war, companies are still prioritizing their bottom lines.
