Renouncing its DEI programs, company and its leadership face new questions
Harley-Davidson accused of going ‘woke’
‘America Reports’ panelists Taylor Riggs and Jackie DeAngelis discuss the controversy surrounding the iconic motorcycle company and the importance of political neutrality in businesses.
The leadership of Harley-Davidson is facing questions following a series of curious strategic decisions and public relations moves that have attracted widespread attention. The “woke” internal agenda of CEO Jochen Zeitz, and the shocking comparisons he made of himself to the Taliban, the global terror group, in his quest for “sustainability” have damaged the motorcycle maker’s brand integrity, many say — plus sparked outrage on social media and launched a rebellion among Harley-Davidson’s loyal customers.
Just two days ago, the company released a statement renouncing DEI and other controversial initiatives it had put into place in recent years.
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“It is critical to our business that we hire and retain the best talent and that all employees feel welcome,” the company noted.
“That said, we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”
Jochen Zietz, chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, has compared himself to the Taliban, the global terror group, in his quest for “sustainability.” Inset: a biker with an American flag on his Harley. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid | Reuters)
In late July, filmmaker and conservative political commentator Robby Starbuck tweeted, “@harleydavidson has been one of the most beloved brands in America but recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke.” This week, Starbuck celebrated the company’s change of heart.
“Recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke.”
Given this and more, there are increasing concerns about the direction of the Milwaukee motorcycle maker, one of America’s most beloved brands.
Zeitz is both Harley-Davidson’s CEO and chairman of the board.
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Fox News Digital this week attempted to reach Zeitz and Harley-Davidson, as well as each member of its board of directors, to discuss their versions of recent events, as well as other issues.
Jochen Zeitz is seen in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2008, years before he became CEO and chairman of the board of Harley-Davidson. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Here is the result.
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Jochen Zeitz
Board bio: Chairman, president and chief executive officer, Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Additional bio: Became CEO of Puma at age 30, founder of Team B with a mission to define business by social agenda, and opened the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art in South Africa in 2017.
“We are trying to take on traditional capitalism and trying to redefine it,” Zeitz told executives at a globalist business summit in Switzerland in 2020, the year he became CEO of Harley-Davidson.
Festival participants are shown on their Harley-Davidson bikes at the big ride in Saxony, Dresden, Germany, in July 2023. (Matthias Rietschel/picture alliance/Getty Images)
A Harley-Davidson logo is seen near a store in Krakow, Poland, in January. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jochen Zeitz, then-CEO of Puma, is shown in Berlin in 2009. (Michele Tantussi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
