"Federal law has long prohibited treating employees differently because of their race," Cotton stated in the letters, reminding the firms of the Supreme Court's recent declaration that "eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it."
Senator Cotton's argument is that Target's race-based initiatives, which purportedly aim to increase diversity and inclusion, may actually contravene federal civil rights laws by actively discriminating based on race.
A recent Gallup poll reveals a decline in intended DEI investment, with 59% of 140 large companies planning to increase their DEI budgets in the next year, a significant drop from 84% in 2022.
One of Trump's primary objectives is to "cut federal funding for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our children."