Yesterday was overwhelming. The world is shocked. This goes beyond making political statements or supporting a party, it’s about democracy itself. The business community has every right to express their views, just as many have, and ultimately it’s the collective will of the people that will compel Trump to step down.

An assault on our nation’s capital is an attack on our democracy and all our citizens. Yesterday’s events were incomprehensible and shocked the world. In a nation where we face unprecedented challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, our economy is in recovery mode, and millions of people are struggling to make ends meet, yesterday’s chaos was shocking on so many levels.

Retailers and the business community have always had to balance their companies’ needs with their political stances. However to remain silent in the face of significant injustices is to be complicit. We have seen retailers take a more serious stance on environmental, sustainability, and social injustice issues. In the face of political instability, retailers have joined the nation in calling for inspiration and leadership from the executive branch.

I think it’s EVERYONE’s responsibility (corporate and personal) to express in the strongest possible terms that enough is enough. What happened in the Capitol was totally beyond the pale and disgusting.

By the way, he finally caved this morning and pledged a peaceful transition. I imagine someone finally threatened him with the 25th Amendment.

This was NOT cool.

I think every single person (and business) needs to look at themselves and ask both, what have I done that has made this possible, and what can I do now to make sure that my actions (or lack thereof) never enable something like this again. Someone manufactured and sold and delivered those Confederate flags. Someone manufactured and sold and delivered those “Camp Auschwitz” t-shirts. Just like Twitter and Facebook and YouTube are being forced to confront their enabling behaviors for spreading and connecting militias and seditionists, retailers with open marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy need to confront their enabling behaviors for the retail market for militias and seditionists. Statements are great, but it’s not just the government that has a responsibility to act.

Unlike in the past, business leaders have been ahead of the curve on issues of social unrest and political upheaval. It’s clear that the mainstreaming of the BLM movement (although not in all corners) is due in part to the supportive stands taken by public companies and sports leagues.

Businesses dislike instability — it’s bad for business, and for their customers — so there is some self-interest at play here, but also real alarm at the escalating rhetoric and actions since Election Day. After all, business executives are voters (and citizens) too. Not to be cynical, but money talks (especially to politicians), so the activism of groups like RILA and the National Manufacturers’ Association might help lower the temperature if responsible members of Congress follow suit.

Retailers and brands should support the truth. That truth is simple. There was an election. Biden won it. Trump lost and, despite his accusations of fraud, no one – including Republican judges and Republican governors – has found any solid evidence to support those claims. As such, there must now be a peaceful transition of power. It doesn’t matter what your politics are, who you support, or how you feel about the result, the democratic process must be respected and upheld. The alternative is total chaos, anarchy and dictatorship. That is not the country I wish to live in and it should not be the country any retailer, or other business, wishes to operate in.

I don’t think it’s partisan to say that we have a Constitution that has served us extremely well over the years. That Contstitution allows plenty of room for dissent and advocacy of differing points of view. It also establishes boundaries, and when those boundaries are breached it provides remedies. Those boundaries have indeed been breached, egregiously and on multiple occassions. So yes, I think everybody has a role and responsibility in holding elected officials accountable for their actions. The election and the subsequent challenges played out. The system worked.

Right now, most retailers and brands seek civility, safety and order. At this historic moment, extinguishing heightened emotions is vital. Companies can comfort stakeholders with messages of hope, belonging and willingness to move forward.

Consumers are watching. Many seek courageous, purpose-driven brands to speak up and denounce the chaos. For certain companies and industry associations, it makes sense to call out yesterday’s events as wholly unacceptable.

My first reaction was to say “carefully.”

But with further reflection, businesses have a responsibility to protect their businesses for all their stakeholders.

What we saw yesterday is a demeaning of The United States. In the end it seemed to turn out OK but, as I wrote on another platform a few days ago (before the embarrassment of yesterday), the world will never look up to the U.S. again. Even with a Biden presidency, as long as there is this portion of the country that would rather be Turkey, Hungry, Venezuela or North Korea, or Poland, the U.S. can not be trusted or lead the world in right and wrong.

A country’s standing in the world ultimately is reflected in the well being of the businesses in that country. My first reaction was wrong. “Carefully” was the wrong word. Businesses of every kind must take a stand.

If anything positive came out of yesterday it’s a renewed awareness of the power of “dark money” and renewed scrutiny of corporate political support. You can’t say keep politics and business separate when corporations are funding politicians. The two are already linked. Before yesterday’s events, the Lincoln Project publically announced that its next-stage push will be exposing corporate donations and incidences in which corporate support for causes like Black Lives Matter are at odds with financial support for various candidates and PACs. Of course, retailers are in the mix. Beyond Trump, exposure and accountability are coming.

It doesn’t matter whether you are Republican, Democrat, or something else, too many business leaders have been deferential and enabling to our bully-in-chief for far too long. When the 25th amendment is being talked about regularly by serious people, you know this is too much. It was clear when he ran how he would act, and it has gone downhill from there. Unfortunately, many individuals have said, “but my 401K is doing so well…” and many business leaders have decided to aid and abet Trump because they thought he was part of the reason their companies were doing well. I don’t often agree with Lindsey Graham, but “Enough is enough. Count me out!” Business leaders need to continue to speak up, albeit tardily. PS: Fox, Twitter and Facebook should really look long and hard in the mirror and figure out if they want to be something besides conspiracy theory enablers when they grow up.

Unfortunately, NRF and NAM and others supported Republicans during the last election. This insipid hand-wringing now is way too little, way too late.

It’s great and especially important in today’s world to see business leaders and industry associations like RILA call on Trump to do things like proceed with the transition, end the violence (yesterday) and even step down. What’s noticeable and worth calling out is that while they direct these messages to the media more than to their legislators or directly to the WH, they mostly fail to share such messages with equally important stakeholders, starting with their customers and employees.

Customers and employees, now more than ever, have expectations that their values and the values of the brands they work for and do business with are aligned. Businesses in general are missing a huge opportunity to not just engage those stakeholders, but to activate them. This is our country and it’s up to every one of us to do what is necessary to preserve the republic.

I really don’t how to address this as a retailer. I was as shocked at the event as everyone else. Now my message is that we can all come together peacefully and in respect in the inauguration of President Biden. I guess what I am saying is I hope for peace and respect for our America.

Business has always advocated about issues that affect them; regulatory policies, tariffs, fair trade, employment policies — it’s a long list. In the last year many business have also stepped up their advocacy of social justice as they have come to understand the impact of inequity on their customers and their employees. We know that these issues are good for our communities and good for business. This is no different, with one exception – the stakes are much higher.

What happened in Washington yesterday made the U.S. look like a third world country on the verge of declining into chaos. Perhaps the intentions of many of the participants were to peacefully show their displeasure at the results of the election which is their right. However what followed was not within their rights.

Some will applaud the statements from the business community and others will take issue with them but everyone has the right to voice their thoughts on what occurred.

I agree with Gene Detroyer’s first thought, “carefully.” Many business leaders have championed the President for four years. It’s a little late in the day for an attack of conscience. This isn’t the first time he has “subtly” advocated violence and lawlessness or championed the cause of vigilantism. From suggesting that the “2nd Amendment folks” might “take care” of Hillary Clinton, to describing the Charlottesville White Power demonstrators as “good people”, to continuously threatening those who opposed or criticized him, to telling the Proud Boys to stand down and “stand by” during the debates, to urging his followers to march on the Capitol yesterday, the President has been nothing if not consistently a thug and an ally of thugs. Where were the calls for him to step down at every step in his aberrant journey? Oh, that’s right, there weren’t any as long as the Dow continued to climb and regulations continued to be stripped away. So now, with 13 days left of what may be remembered by history as the nation’s worst presidency, it… Read more »

To say the events yesterday that culminated in the storming of the Capitol was no less than an assault on Democracy is a severe understatement. As so many Americans, and the world, are denouncing these actions and calling for those responsible to be held accountable — yes, we should expect business leaders to make similar statements. Civil unrest in all its forms is not conducive to commerce, and retailers, as well as other business leaders, know this and are acting accordingly. Should they call for the President to step down? Considering how directly he was involved in inciting these actions, yes, it’s understandable that business leaders would join in to call for him to step down.

The most appalling thing about all of this to me is the naivete. Where did we think this was all going when the Michigan State House was assaulted, or when 30 gun-racked pick up trucks with huge flags ran through your neighborhood at high speeds? Or when lie after lie after lie was perpetrated, just begging for “action”? Sometimes I think (know?) media, politicians and yes, retailers, are living in a bubble of denial — that couldn’t happen here! Welp, wake up call. We have a problem that must be fixed by the adults in the room, no joke. And for retailers: do we think that the vandalism and misinformation won’t include us at some point? When a leader with millions of followers, based on lies, is stoking the flames, we’re all going to feel it at some point. We should’ve been much more vocal about putting an end to it (hello, NRF). And in terms of culpability, we need to look at the social platforms as media and subsequently hold them accountable to the… Read more »

Wasn’t planning on commenting on the obvious that this discussion has highlighted. I have read, respected and agree with the majority of braintrust colleagues, who have expressed their shock and dismay over yesterday’s chaos, including their criticism of business leaders when it comes to their dealings with Trump.

Permit me to share the words of my late mother. “There is always good that comes from bad.” My hope is that the American citizens who drank Trump’s cool-aid, now realize that the situation was not as he described. Instead it is the warped response of an individual who never could deal with being a loser.