McDonald’s pushes back on ‘misleading claims’ of call for DEI boycott

McDonald’s pushed back against what it described as “misleading claims” from a left-wing advocacy group that has targeted the fast food giant with a national boycott, partially over its backing away from its DEI policies.

The weeklong call to boycott the nation’s most beloved burger chain is being organized by The People’s Union USA which has already targeted Walmart, Amazon and Target with its “economic blackouts” for various reasons, one of them being a failure to commit to the racist and discriminatory policies that President Donald J. Trump’s administration has called for eliminating.

McDonald’s facing nationwide boycott over DEI rollbacks | WPLG pic.twitter.com/QIAVYFLXJF

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People’s Union USA founder John Schwarz said the boycott of Mickey D’s will run from June 24-30 in a social media post, listing a number of grievances including exploiting of tax loopholes, price gouging at a time of low wages, supporting “political figures who threaten democracy,” and practicing “performative DEI with no meaningful change.”

“The idea that DEI initiatives should be abandoned is backward, regressive, and dangerous. Every American deserves a fair shot at success, and that includes every race, every background, every belief system. Period,” The People’s Union USA website reads.

“This is about more than burgers and fries; this is about power. When we unite and hit corporations in their wallets, they listen… This week, we’re taking a stand. No McDonald’s. No compromise,” The People’s Union declared in an Instagram post.

The company responded to the group’s call to action.

“As a brand that serves millions of people every day, McDonald’s opens our doors to everyone, and our commitment to inclusion remains steadfast,” Mickey D’s said in a Tuesday statement, according to Fox Business.

The company insisted that it “generates billions in federal, state, and local taxes annually, and we’ll continue to pay our fair share.”

“We welcome honest dialogue with the communities we serve, but we’re disappointed to see these misleading claims that distort our values and misrepresent our actions,” McDonald’s added, rebutting the group’s claims. “Our focus remains on serving our customers and communities. We’re here and ready to serve.”

“Alongside our 2,000 local franchisees across the U.S., McDonald’s provides meaningful work opportunities for over 800,000 restaurant crew, spends millions with local suppliers, and serves as an engine of economic opportunity for local communities,” the company said.

While Mickey D’s announced that it was rolling back some of its DEI initiatives early this year, the changes may not be as significant as many have been led to believe.

“McDonald’s keeps ‘core’ inclusion programs despite DEI backlash,” Bloomberg News reported earlier this month, citing remarks from McDonald’s Chief Field People Officer Jordann Nunn at a recent human resources conference in Chicago.

“We changed some of the language that we’ve used around it, but at the core, none of our programming has changed… we have no intention of doing that,” he said, according to Fox Business.