In singling out Target, GOP lawmakers and right-wing social media personalities are sending a larger warning to corporate America to roll back recent diversity and inclusion policies, analysts say. Target first began its diversity initiatives 20 years ago and added new policies in 2020. Such efforts to curb gun violence have run into fierce pushback from Republican lawmakers who oppose both gun restrictions and corporations taking on social roles. Now, Republicans are stepping up their scrutiny on companies’ diversity efforts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action in college admissions. It is also likely to invite legal challenges to corporate DEI programs, as Cotton’s letter to Target foreshadows.

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