Trump slashed DEI. Now it's making a surprising bipartisan comeback

Trump slashed DEI. Now it's making a surprising bipartisan comeback

Jessica Guynn

Political pressure during the Trump era forced corporate America to put its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on ice.

Now, in a surprising turn, growing rank-and-file buy-in is driving a quiet thaw across party lines, with even Republican employees expressing approval for such workplace programs.

This unexpected bipartisan support for DEI emerged in the latest Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society survey provided exclusively to USA TODAY. Though views remain deeply polarized, workers across the ideological spectrum are growing more positive about the workplace benefits of diversity programs.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans believe promoting DEI should be a priority for businesses. What's more, public faith in the bottom-line benefits of diversity is climbing as more Americans link diverse workforces to increased profitability and innovation than at any point in the past two years.

DEI views surprise in polarized political climate

The findings defy expectations in today's political climate and even surprised researchers.

President Donald Trump took office pledging to eliminat...