The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Nike accusing the company of discriminating against white employees.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a subpoena enforcement action against Nike on Tuesday after the company refused to cooperate with the government's investigation.
The investigation started after EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas filed a commissioner’s charge against Nike in May 2024. The agency alleged that the company may have discriminated against white workers through its diversity programs.
Axios reported that Nike has been pushing back against the government, which is why the EEOC is asking a federal judge to compel the company to turn over information about its DEI programs and hiring process.
🚨 BREAKING: The Trump administration is now taking legal action against NIKE for ANTI-WHITE employment discrimination
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 4, 2026
The EEOC is now asking a court to force Nike into handing over info on white worker discrimination
GOOD! This toxic ideology must be left in the dustbin of… pic.twitter.com/HBvu1EyVaO
The action against Nike is part of a broader Trump administration effort to crack down on corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Lucas told Reuters in December 2025 that she plans to “shift to a conservative view of civil rights” and cautioned that any company using race or gender as a factor in hiring decisions could face legal action.
America First Legal, a conservative organization, filed a civil rights complaint against Nike in June 2025. In a press release, the group said Nike used hiring quotas and made employment decisions based on skin color.
America First Legal’s complaint claims Nike runs at least 16 programs that are restricted by race. This includes mentoring and career development opportunities that deliberately exclude white workers. The organization argues that Nike’s publicly stated diversity goals are evidence that the company is discriminating against whites.
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🚨 NOW: Nike CAUGHT and dragged into court by Trump’s team for their anti-white employment tactics.
— Luca Taner (@LucaTaner) February 4, 2026
EEOC is demanding transparency.
Good—this twisted garbage has no place in America! pic.twitter.com/Fm7H0eVcaC
Nike announced in 2021 that it would tie executive salaries to the achievement of diversity goals. These included increasing the number of women in leadership by 50 percent and racial minorities to 35 percent by 2025. It also pledged to spend $1 billion with minority-owned businesses. Critics contend that these goals create hiring quotas that discriminate against white male candidates.
The Trump administration is looking at other companies over their hiring practices. The EEOC sent letters to 20 major law firms in March 2025, demanding they turn over information about their diversity programs.
The Federal Communications Commission also launched a probe into Disney and ABC over their DEI practices.
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