Home Depot drops public DEI language amid growing scrutiny

The Home Depot has quietly removed public references to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from its corporate website, following months of mounting scrutiny from conservative groups and politicians.

Until recently, the retailer maintained a dedicated DEI section under its “Responsibility” menu, outlining its commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture across the company, according to a report from Retail Brew.

That page stated, “We strive to ensure that our company culture maintains a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment so that we can attract and retain the best employees… and strengthen the communities where we operate.” It also described DEI as “a competitive advantage and key to our long-term success.”

Now, the “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” tab has been removed and replaced with a new section titled “Living our Values.” The new landing page, branded “WeAreTHD,” features stories about Home Depot employees from varied backgrounds, but makes no mention of “diversity,” “equity,” or “inclusion.”

According to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, the DEI page was last archived on March 28, 2025, and had been captured 52 times since July 2022.

When asked, Home Depot denied the change was a response to political pressure, particuarly President Trump’s January 2025 call for all public agencies and businesses to eliminate DEI programs.

The company did not confirm any link between Trump’s comments and the removal of the content.

In a written response, Home Depot spokesperson Sarah McDonald told Retail New: “We’re proud to have a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals. We’ve been using ‘WeAreTHD,’ which is a slogan that represents the welcoming culture we’ve built here.

“We remain committed to our core values and the needs of our business, empowering associates, driving innovation, and enriching our communities.”



Still, the move hasn’t gone unnoticed by activists and observers. Robby Starbuck, a vocal critic of corporate DEI programs who helped push Tractor Supply to abandon its own diversity commitments in 2024, called out Home Depot’s previous “woke policies” in an August post on X.

Unlike retailers such as Target, which publicly announced its scaling back of DEI efforts in January, Home Depot has not issued any formal statement about a policy shift.

Further signs of a retreat from DEI language were found in the company’s financial disclosures.

Bloomberg Law reported that Home Depot’s March 2025 10-K filing with the SEC no longer included the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” section from the prior year.

Instead, it introduced a new heading, “Respect For All People.” The 2024 version had stated, “We believe that having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Company is key to our success.” The new version opens with: “We strive to maintain a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals…”

The subtle rebranding underscores how corporate messaging around DEI is evolving in response to political and cultural pressures, even if companies, like Home Depot, avoid acknowledging any shift publicly.

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