Deafening silence from Corporate America on Trump’s travel ban
Starbucks plans to hire 10,000 refugees, but few companies beyond Silicon Valley have spoken out against the new president’s immigration and travel curbs
New York/Boston — Most US corporate bosses have stayed silent on President Donald Trump’s immigration curbs, underscoring the sensitivities around opposing policies that could provoke a backlash from the White House. While the leaders of Apple, Google and Facebook e-mailed their staff to denounce the suspension of the US refugee programme and the halting of arrivals from seven Muslim-majority countries, many of their counterparts in other industries either declined comment or responded with company statements reiterating their commitment to diversity. The difference in response shows the pressure large swathes of corporate America face to avoid tussling publicly with the new administration. Companies such as aircraft maker Boeing and car makers Ford and General Motors (GM) have already had run-ins with Trump over other issues, and they have much at stake in policy decisions that the administration will make on tax, trade and regulatory matters. Before office, Trump attacked Boeing o...
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