Costco, Apple, and Delta Air Lines maintained their DEI policies despite backlash and saw no financial harm, while Target and Walmart abandoned DEI and faced criticism. The debate centers on whether DEI policies were beneficial or misused for political purposes. UnderpantsWeevil argued that companies abandoning DEI were 'score political points with jerks,' while UnspecificGravity claimed Target's DEI abandonment was part of a deliberate collaboration with law enforcement. The discussion highlights the financial performance of companies that kept DEI versus those that dropped it, with specific examples like Costco, Apple, and Delta Air Lines.

Commenters split on the value of DEI. UnderpantsWeevil claimed companies that abandoned DEI were motivated by political points, while those that kept DEI saw no negative impact on performance. UnspecificGravity raised the underappreciated point that Target's DEI abandonment was part of a deliberate collaboration with law enforcement for surveillance and policing. Ceenote warned that caving to pressure raises a red flag about leadership competence. Mechoman444 noted that DEI's side effect was reducing nepotism and favoritism, but the framework itself wasn't necessary for that. Jaysyn argued Apple shouldn't be in the list of companies that kept DEI due to its ties with ICE.

The community consensus is that companies like Costco, Apple, and Delta Air Lines that maintained DEI policies performed just as well financially as those that abandoned them. However, there are significant fault lines, with some arguing DEI was misused for political purposes and others highlighting its role in reducing nepotism and favoritism. The debate remains heated, with sharp takes from users like UnderpantsWeevil and UnspecificGravity.