MAGA Reacts to John Deere Dropping Diversity Measures

Supporters of former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement took to social media on Wednesday to share their reactions to John Deere announcing it will be dropping diversity measures.

John Deere, an Illinois-based agricultural manufacturer, announced in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) that it will audit all training materials to ensure they are free of “socially motivated messages” in accordance with federal and local laws. The company also emphasized that diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not part of its policies.

However, the company said it will remain committed to tracking and advancing diversity internally.

“We fundamentally believe that a diverse workforce enables us to best meet our customers’ needs and because of that we will continue to track and advance the diversity of our organization,” John Deere said in its statement.

Newsweek reached out to John Deere on Wednesday via email for further comment.

John Deere’s announcement followed conservative backlash on social media over its diversity and inclusion efforts. The move also comes after the retailer Tractor Supply recently ended several diversity and climate initiatives after a wave of online complaints from conservative activists.

Since John Deere’s announcement, MAGA supporters have taken to X to praise the company, but some argue the company has not gone far enough and are calling for more Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices to be eliminated.

The Hodgetwins, a comedic duo and outspoken MAGA supporters, were among those who voiced their continued displeasure with John Deere.

“Eliminate all DEI programs and stop discriminating against your employees or this message means nothing,” they wrote on X in response to John Deere’s statement.

Conservative political commentator and filmmaker Robby Starbuck commended the company while saying the farm equipment makes should no longer participate in Corporate Equality Index (CEI) scoring from the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights.

“Another huge win in our war on wokeness BUT I don’t think this is enough for customers to go back. Customers want to hear that DEI policies are entirely gone and that they will no longer participate in social credit CEI scoring by HRC,” Starbuck wrote. wrote on X.

He continued, “This half measure shows that we’re a powerful force to be reckoned with though. While I’m not completely pleased, I don’t want to downplay the fact that this is another massive win. I won’t rest until we eliminate leftism from corporate America.”

Meanwhile, Tammie McDonald, a popular social media user who includes #MAGA in her X bio, simply wrote to John Deere: “Know your customers.”

The company’s step back from social messaging also received condemnation from John Boyd Jr., the president of the National Black Farmers Association, who reportedly said the company doesn’t support Black farmers.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Boyd said John Deere CEO John C. May should resign for the action and the company should be boycotted.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, also called the announcement “disappointing” and “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business,” the AP reported.

DEI programs have become a frequent target of right-wing activists in recent years, and Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting DEI initiatives at universities and other public institutions.

Meanwhile, progressives tend to back DEI programs as a way to combat institutionalized racism that they say is ever-present in society.