As the country becomes more politically divided than ever, many Americans want their spending habits to match their values.

Unsurprisingly, if an entire company speaks out against the rights of you or your community, you probably don’t want to give them your money. I know I don’t.

Well, I’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Below are some details on the political and social leanings of American companies, whether displayed through their monetary contributions or rhetoric.

But first…

Recent flip flops

Target, who has consistently has supported the LGBTQIA+ community and other minority groups, made a shocking decision to scrap their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in February 2025.

Beyond the cheesy and abhorrent rainbow apparel collections that Target debuts every June for pride month, they do (or did, rather) actually put their money where their mouth is.

They have contributed over $100,000 towards LGBTQ+ organizations, allowed transgender employees to use the bathrooms and fitting rooms that correspond to their gender identity, and much more. Target has been known as one of the few openly inclusive and liberal companies.

That’s why their announcement in February 2025 angered their supporters so much that it inspired a boycott.

So what did Target announce?

• The discontinuation of its DEI initiatives
• After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Target established a program to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers, and promote Black-owned businesses – this program has been cancelled.
• Target will no longer participate in an annual survey compiled by the Human Rights Campaign that assesses the effectiveness of their actions towards the LGBTQ+ community

Target said “…we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape.” That pretty much tells you what you need to know.

Google has also been a generally liberal company over the years. Eric Schmidt, former CEO and chairman of Alphabet, has been a significant donor to Democratic campaigns

Unfortunately, just like Target, Google announced in early 2025 the elimination of its DEI hiring targets. This decision was made to better align with the Trump administration’s stance against such programs. Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, claims that while the company will continue to invest in DEI initiatives, it will no longer maintain specific goals for workforce representation.

Google also recently removed holidays from their calendar including Black History Month, Indigenous People Month, Jewish Heritage, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Hispanic Heritage Month. Google claims they removed these holidays in 2024 due to trouble with “scalability,” but the timing is suspect.

Liberal-leaning companies

Keep in mind that identifying the political affiliation of a company is not as black and white as it may seem. While some corporations are outspoken about their views, many choose to donate to both political parties, or neither.

Apple

Apple stays fairly neutral by not contributing to either political party, but their CEO and employees lean left. CEO Tim Cook has historically supported and fundraised for democratic candidates and has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He did donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, but Apple rebuffed pressure to end its DEI programs the following month.

Ben & Jerry’s

The Vermont ice cream company has a long history of liberal activism. While they don’t publicly endorse any candidates, they focus on fighting for social justice causes they believe in, like the environment and racial justice.

Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, is not always on board. In March 2025 Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, alleging that the parent company attempted to suppress its advocacy efforts, particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Costco

Costco has always been left-leaning, and recently rejected a proposal urging the company to “evaluate any risks posed by its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.” More than 98% of shares voted against the proposal.

Disney

Disney has been historically neutral, but is now seen as left-leaning, especially after their public opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Governor Ron DeSantis’s feud with Disney turned the company into a cultural flashpoint, and Disney has reinforced its progressive branding by increasing diverse representation in its content and standing by DEI principles.

Levi’s

Levi Strauss & Co. has consistently supported liberal causes, including gun control, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ equality. The company has publicly taken stances on hot-button political issues and contributed to Democratic candidates.

Microsoft

Microsoft has proven themselves to be a very liberal company, joining Costco among companies who have chosen to keep their DEI initiatives. Microsoft has donated over $12 million to democratic candidates. Their inclusive workplace culture and social activism makes them a company worth supporting.

Nike

Nike has made bold political statements in recent years, especially with its ad campaigns. Most famously, they backed Colin Kaepernick in a national marketing campaign despite the controversy. Nike continues to take stances supporting racial justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and progressive values.

Patagonia

Patagonia is one of the most outspoken progressive companies in the U.S. Its founder, Yvon Chouinard, literally gave the company away to fight climate change. They’ve sued the Trump administration over public land policies, shut down operations on election days to encourage voting, and are vocal about environmental justice, anti-corporate greed, and Indigenous rights. Patagonia’s activism is part of its business model.

Salesforce

CEO Marc Benioff has been very vocal about social justice issues, from LGBTQ+ rights to homelessness. Salesforce pulled out of Indiana events in protest of anti-LGBTQ legislation and has been outspoken about its DEI initiatives and philanthropic giving. Definitely left-leaning.

Starbucks

While trying to appear politically neutral in recent years, Starbucks has a strong history of progressive policies: supporting marriage equality early, funding racial bias training, and offering health benefits for same-sex partners before it was standard. However, the recent union-busting controversies complicate things slightly.

University of California

While not a company in the traditional sense, the UC system is deeply involved with public policy, education access, and research funding. It tends to lean left, both in culture and governance. The university has defended DACA recipients, opposed bans on affirmative action, and maintained DEI programs despite political pressure. It often represents the academic left in national debates.

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers has a mixed record but overall leans left, especially through its media and entertainment choices. The company has supported LGBTQ+ representation in its programming, participated in Pride campaigns, and pushed progressive messaging in films and series. It also pulled out of Georgia over the state’s restrictive abortion laws in 2019.

Conservative-leaning companies

Amazon

Although Amazon has donated fairly evenly to both political parties, in 2025 founder Jeff Bezos contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and attended in support.

In the past, Amazon committed to supporting reproductive rights, but in 2024 they donated $425,000 to the Republican Attorneys General Association, which supported candidates advocating for restrictive abortion laws.

And now Bezos is taking over the opinion page of the newspaper he owns, the Washington Post, to make sure it “reflects libertarian priorities”.

Chick-fil-A

Despite attempts to soften their image, Chick-fil-A continues to be associated with conservative values. The company’s charitable foundation has donated to organizations with anti-LGBTQ+ records, and while they’ve reduced that funding in recent years, their brand is still closely tied to right-wing religious activism. Their CEO has also publicly expressed conservative views on marriage.

Goya Foods

After CEO Robert Unanue praised Donald Trump in 2020, liberals called for a boycott and conservatives launched a “buy-cott.” Goya didn’t back down and continued aligning itself with conservative messaging and causes.

Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby has long been a fixture of the religious right. The company famously fought the Affordable Care Act over birth control coverage and won a Supreme Court case on religious grounds. Its stores are closed on Sundays, and its founders fund Christian universities and conservative causes. Hobby Lobby is firmly in the conservative camp.

Home Depot

Co-founder Bernie Marcus is a major Republican donor who supported Donald Trump and donated millions to conservative PACs. While the company itself claims neutrality, its leadership’s political activity suggests otherwise. Home Depot also hasn’t taken strong stances on social justice issues compared to its competitors, opting to stay in the background.

MyPillow

CEO Mike Lindell is one of the most vocal and high-profile supporters of Donald Trump, going so far as to finance election denial campaigns. The company is synonymous with right-wing activism at this point.

Publix

While not often in the headlines, Publix has donated significant money to Republican campaigns. The heiress of the Publix fortune also gave $300,000 to fund the January 6 rally that preceded the Capitol insurrection, which brought extra scrutiny to the brand.

Rumble

A video-sharing platform created as an alternative to YouTube, Rumble has positioned itself as a haven for right-wing content creators who have been banned or demonetized elsewhere. It is openly conservative, both in leadership and audience.

Space X

Not only do Elon Musk’s political views make this company right-leaning, but so does its financial behavior. In 2024 and 2025, the company donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican campaigns, making it one of the most significant corporate backers of conservative politics. Elon Musk has made no secret of his disdain for liberal ideologies, often railing against DEI programs, progressive social policies, and what he calls “woke culture.” This is all fairly new – he used to fully support “woke” culture, back when it was financially beneficial to him.

Walmart

Walmart walks a fine line, but recent actions suggest a shift right. Although the company has at times supported social causes (like paying for employee travel for abortion care), it also donated heavily to Republican politicians and has remained silent or rolled back certain DEI efforts under conservative pressure. In 2025, they quietly ended internal diversity programs in multiple states with anti-DEI laws.

Table: biggest democratic contributors

The table below starts with the highest democratic contribution. You will notice that some organizations have contributed to both sides.

Organization	To Democrats	To Republicans
Democracy PAC	$67,173,000.00	$0.00
Bloomberg LP	$63,373,988.00	$1,304,523.00
Fund for Policy Reform	$60,000,000.00	$0.00
Senate Majority PAC	$58,509,454.00	$1,245.00
Asana	$50,759,794.00	$912.00
America Votes	$50,049,363.00	$0.00
Carpenters & Joiners Union	$43,355,559.00	$311,590.00
Service Employees International Union	$35,488,612.00	$4,531.00
League of Conservation Voters	$28,552,193.00	$42.00
Greylock Partners	$28,139,580.00	$1,160,997.00
Laborers Union	$26,495,756.00	$376,436.00
American Israel Public Affairs Cmte	$25,223,935.00	$16,842,018.00
Sixteen Thirty Fund	$23,659,532.00	$0.00
National Education Assn	$22,638,543.00	$63,408.00
Renaissance Technologies	$21,987,686.00	$828,590.00
Lone Pine Capital	$21,949,100.00	$56,600.00
UNITE HERE	$20,623,312.00	$140.00
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers	$20,313,737.00	$382,616.00
Movement Voter Project	$18,920,740.00	$0.00
University of California	$18,911,025.00	$382,429.00
Alphabet Inc	$18,679,669.00	$1,750,922.00
Ripple	$15,685,583.00	$2,970,303.00
Jump Trading LLC	$205,236.00	$6,868.00

Table: biggest republican contributors

It will come as no surprise that Elon is Donald’s biggest fan, topping the charts with a whopping $2.87 million in republican donations.

Organization	To Republicans	To Democrats
SpaceX	$287,930,952.00	$767,131.00
Adelson Clinic/Miriam Adelson	$146,881,700.00	$0.00
Uline Inc	$146,098,623.00	$10,239.00
Citadel LLC	$108,493,702.00	$155,354.00
Susquehanna International Group	$100,427,759.00	$112,076.00
Empower Parents PAC	$82,500,000.00	$0.00
Securing American Greatness	$67,558,284.00	$0.00
Senate Leadership Fund	$67,445,300.00	$0.00
Elliott Management	$66,303,364.00	$490,445.00
Club for Growth	$59,846,544.00	$50.00
Koch Inc	$49,016,031.00	$75,346.00
Stand Together Chamber of Commerce	$44,801,923.00	$25.00
Blackstone Group	$41,412,290.00	$6,938,368.00
Restoration PAC	$41,218,363.00	$0.00
Crownquest Operating	$35,752,337.00	$175.00
Bigelow Aerospace	$34,991,500.00	$90.00
Building America’s Future	$33,470,000.00	$0.00
Stephens Inc	$27,344,841.00	-$1,323.00
British American Tobacco	$26,077,861.00	$87,913.00
American Prosperity Alliance	$22,549,000.00	$0.00
Manzanita Management Group	$21,905,672.00	$253,461.00
America First Action/America First Policies	$21,724,798.00	$0.00
Mountaire Corp	$21,367,129.00	$2,951.00
Reyes Holdings	$21,093,373.00	$107,580.00
Energy Transfer LP	$19,328,849.00	-$26,358.00
Hendricks Holding Co	$19,305,013.00	$1,525.00
Andreessen Horowitz	$13,224,795.00	$8,560,958.00