Corporations Learn That Boycotts Work

Target, Tesla, Law Firms, and The Washington Post are learning the hard way that bigotry is a bad business model

Somewhere in a corporate boardroom, a CEO is crying into a $12,000 espresso machine wondering how it all went so wrong? Let me help them out: You bent the knee to Trump’s bigotry. And now, you’re paying for it. Turns out, when you slap the public across the face with fascism, they don’t come back for more. Target, Tesla, large law firms, and The Washington Post are the latest faces of corporations who capitulated to bigotry and are now paying the price. How do we continue to pile on to ensure they heard our message? Let’s Address This.

Becky Dankowski holds an anti-Target sign during a news conference outside Target Corporation's HQ in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Target: The Bulls-Eye of Boycott Power

In January Target announced it would phase out DEI initiatives, particularly those intended to ensure more meaningful representation of Black employees. In response, Georgia Pastor Rev. Jamal Bryant called for a 40-day-boycott of Target—one that he’s since called to extend. And the American people responded.

The resulting record drop in foot traffic, revenue, and profits means Target is now seeing its worst performance in recent memory. By some estimates Target has lost $12.4B in valuation, with online sales and in store sales all trending down. All due to Target’s cowardly retreat from diversity, which came after a few loud extremists got upset that Target dared to be inclusive. For those wondering, Costco is an excellent alternative to Target. While it isn’t perfect, I give them credit for proudly leaning into meaningful diversity initiatives, and for paying their employees a much more livable wage of $22/hour.

Tesla: Fascism Doesn’t Sell EVs

Then there’s Tesla. Remember when it was the innovative darling of the future? Now it’s the political equivalent of a gas-guzzling Hummer wrapped in a Confederate flag. After Elon Musk openly echoed Nazi talking points, praised Trump like a fanboy at a fascist fan convention, and made Twitter a playground for bigots, the world responded with the loudest answer possible: We stopped buying.

Global Tesla sales are collapsing. In some countries, sales dropped by as much as 49%. Musk somehow managed to turn electric vehicles into a right-wing culture war relic. That takes a special kind of talent.

Law Firms: The $100 Million Mistake

As an attorney myself, it pained me to see law firms bend the knee to Donald Trump. Rather than stand up for justice and rule of law, several top law firms decided to throw their lot in with Trump, giving him over $100 million in pro bono legal services. Apparently, they missed the memo that helping a wannabe dictator dodge justice might not be the best look. As WSJ and Newsweek report:

Legal executives from at least 11 major companies are redirecting assignments away from firms that made pacts with the White House, the WSJ reported. Oracle, Morgan Stanley, an unnamed airline, a pharmaceutical company, and McDonald's have all moved or considered moving legal work, in some cases explicitly citing dissatisfaction with the firms' response to White House pressure. Microsoft raised conflict-of-interest concerns with Latham & Watkins, temporarily removing the firm from its preferred counsel list before reinstating it after further discussions.

And this doesn’t even include the top lawyers who resigned from these so-called top firms, objecting to their capitulation to fascism. And moreover, it’s important to recognize that this is a bipartisan failure. Even former first gentleman Doug Emhoff’s firm capitulated to Trump, and donated $100 million in free services. Law firms are now paying the price as clients are fleeing to other firms who refused to succumb to Trump and his fascist ideals.

Washington Post: Democracy Dies in Sycophancy

And finally, the Washington Post. Once a proud defender of truth, it has spent the past year gutting its newsroom and embracing billionaire-driven, Trump-friendly coverage. The reward for its editorial cowardice? It has reportedly lost more than 500,000 subscribers—that’s reportedly more than 10% of its base.

Who knew that alienating your core readership in the name of billionaire appeasement wasn’t a winning business model?

The Bigger Picture

Let’s be clear: This isn’t just a series of unrelated corporate blunders. This is the power of organized, conscious resistance. This is what happens when people say, "Enough." Your dollar is your voice. And when you choose not to spend it on institutions that uphold bigotry and fascism, it sends a message louder than any tweet.

We are likely witnessing the most effective economic boycott since the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Target, Tesla, law firms, legacy media—all are feeling the consequences of aligning with hate and injustice.

So what do we do next?

We keep the pressure on. We double down on supporting local businesses, indie media, and writers who speak truth to power. We stop handing our money to corporations that treat representation and justice like optional accessories. Take stock of where you are spending your funds, and see how you can change your spending habits to support more local and small businesses and local writers and independent writers. Because this isn’t just about economics. It’s about integrity. And integrity, like democracy, only survives if we fight for it.

Boycotts work. Let’s make sure corporate America feels the consequences of their actions.