"It will be like that for 4 years" — Netizens react to reports of Amazon halting some of their DEI programs ahead of Trump's inauguration

Amazon is reportedly putting a stop to some of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The move comes on the heels of the growing dissent against such initiatives from conservatives.

News of the the reported decision has since broken out on X, drawing the ire of scores online. While some users lauded Jeff Bezoz's company, others felt like this marks the start of a very rocky four years under Trump's reign. Here's what one user said:

Expand Tweet

"It will be like that for 4 years."

The comments didn't end there, and many others weighed in:

Expand Tweet

"cool how America is just like let’s go back to racism of the past," a user dissed.

"Guess they’re cutting back on anything that doesn’t directly boost profits. Typical corporate move," another user claimed.

"Good. Now everyone will have to met the same merit and not give jobs based on skin color and sexual orientation," a user lauded the move.

"So, prioritizing profits over progress? Guess we'll see how that impacts innovation and employee morale," a netizen added.

The comments section was visibly abuzz with users expressing their sentiments:

"what is going on in the world right now like fr," read an X post.

"Amazon really said 'back to basics' but forgot the humanity part," another quipped.

"All the big corporations going right wing suddenly is so concerning. There’s something going on behind the doors that we’re not aware of," an X user posited.

"Damn not everybody who donated to the inauguration," a user pointed out.

The sentiments online were visibly varied, ranging from users who lauded the move to those who felt like it was a step back with regards to progress.

All we know about why Amazon is scaling back on its DEI programs

As reported by The Guardian, Amazon is just one of many businesses pulling back on their DEIs, despite having lobbied for the same since 2020 following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

Per the outlet, the company issued a memo to its staff on Friday, noting that it would be “winding down outdated programs and materials” in reference to DEI, with the goal of halting all related operations by the end of this past year. Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive at Amazon, penned the following:

"Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes — and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture."

Castleberry, who now works as the vice president of inclusive experiences and technology for the company, previously worked under the title vice president of global diversity, equity, and inclusion, though it changed in 2023, Seattle Times has reported.

Per The Guardian, conservatives have been pushing back on all such programs, even threatening to take the companies to court over it. Just this week, Elon Musk blamed DEI programs for allegedly impacting the response initiatives to the ongoing LA wildfires.