‘XX-XY Athletics’ creator, Jennifer Sey, discusses why prominent brands are withdrawing support from initiatives focused on diversity.
American corporations have experienced considerable resistance to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during the second Trump presidency. This development is viewed favorably by Jennifer Sey, the CEO of XX-XY Athletics, who describes these endeavors and recruitment methods as “superfluous.”
“An undue emphasis on DEI, manifest in either employment strategies or public relations, can, in fact, negatively impact a company’s operational outcomes,” Sey informed Fox News Digital.
She elaborated, saying, “It’s no longer highly regarded… Businesses are reacting to President Trump and his administration’s directives and executive mandates, while simultaneously acknowledging prevailing public sentiment, which increasingly dismisses these DEI efforts.”
Gravity Research indicated in November that “the phrase ‘DEI’ saw a 98% reduction in usage throughout Fortune 100 communications.” Over 1,000 corporate records, spanning from January 2023 to May 2025, were examined for this report.
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Jennifer Sey, CEO of XX-XY Athletics, critiques “excessive” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across American companies that were abolished during President Trump’s second term. (Christian Alminana/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Sey further stated, “Leadership teams are content to discontinue these initiatives. They divert attention from core business operations.” She described it as “all the compulsory diversity training, alongside an interview process that prioritizes factors other than pure merit. These aspects serve as a diversion from business. Ultimately, the fundamental objective for executive teams and CEOs is to generate revenue for the enterprise… This constitutes their financial obligation.”
She concluded, “When staff members spend entire days on diversity instruction, their attention is diverted from crafting an excellent product and promoting it. Consequently, I believe companies are, in fact, relieved to downplay these aspects and move on.”
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The commencement of the second Trump administration signaled the cessation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across American corporations – a hiring approach this CEO labeled “superfluous.” (Getty Stock Images / Getty Images)
Following his re-election, President Donald Trump enacted executive order 14173, designated “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” which instructed the leaders of all executive departments and agencies to “counter unlawful private-sector DEI preferences, directives, guidelines, initiatives, and undertakings.”
As per Gravity Research, 40 companies “implemented public modifications to DEI” subsequent to Trump’s second inauguration, while The Conference Board additionally observed a 68% decrease in the utilization of the “DEI” acronym among America’s largest corporations in their 2025 reports compared to 2024 submissions.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that “33% [of enterprises] completely ceased employing the term equity,” whereas “53% of S&P 100 corporations” modified the presentation of their DEI endeavors in their 2025 yearly reports when juxtaposed with 2024.
However, the report clarified that this did not imply a complete cessation of DEI initiatives; instead, it indicated a trend of “restricting or recontextualizing public statements regarding their diversity efforts.”
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President Donald Trump gesturing at a rally. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The former gymnast proceeded to reference Bud Light’s unsuccessful marketing endeavor in 2023, which involved engaging transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an advertising campaign, exemplifying the company’s bid to leverage “social consciousness as a promotional tactic.”
“It proved to be a spectacular misstep,” Sey stated.
In recent times, the firm has produced more conventional, comedic advertisements designed to resonate with male audiences, including its Super Bowl commercial this year showcasing Peyton Manning, Post Malone, and Shane Gillis.
Sey further remarked, “Should you choose to align with socially conscious trends and target that demographic, that is acceptable. Pursue it if you believe it will fulfill your commercial objectives… Conversely, if your aim is a more traditional consumer base, and you convey this through your marketing – representing half the nation – you can still establish a thriving enterprise. However, when considering major corporations such as Target and Bud Light, I contend they bear a responsibility to appeal to the broadest common ground, concentrating on their merchandise and shared principles… It ought not to perpetually yield to fleeting cultural fancies,” she elaborated.
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The athletic brand creator appended, “Consumers desire hope, and they seek to see harmonious, positive attributes reflected in the brands they acquire.”
She asserted that it is straightforward for enterprises to concentrate on recruiting the most capable personnel to “achieve optimal outcomes.”
Fox News Digital’s solicitation for a statement from Target and Anheuser-Busch received no reply.