The Blubber

Americans are adjusting their shopping habits—and even abandoning their favorite stores—in response to corporations aligning their policies with the Trump administration, according to a poll shared exclusively with The Guardian.

A Harris poll found that four in 10 Americans have altered their spending in recent months to reflect their moral views.

Additionally, 31% of respondents expressed no interest in supporting the economy this year, a sentiment particularly strong among younger consumers (Gen Z: 37%), Black consumers (41% vs. 28% of white consumers), and Democrats (35% vs. 29% of independents and 28% of Republicans).

One in four (24%) have even stopped shopping at their favorite stores due to political disagreements—especially Black consumers (35%), Gen Z (32%), and Democrats (31%).

Democrats were the most likely to report changing their spending habits (50%), compared to Republicans (41%) and independents (40%). They were also more inclined to boycott businesses with opposing political views—45% of Democrats said they had done so, compared to 34% of Republicans.

This shift indicates that liberal-leaning consumers are increasingly using their purchasing power to respond to corporate political stances.

Most recently, this trend has been evident in the backlash against Target—the seventh-largest retailer in the U.S., historically favored by liberal shoppers.

In January, Target announced it was scaling back some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including a program designed to stock more Black- and minority-owned brands. The company cited a desire to “stay more in step with the evolving external landscape.” Following this decision, boycott calls circulated on social media, and Twin Cities Pride—the organization behind Minneapolis’s annual Pride festival—cut ties with Target as a sponsor.

“What’s more important is that we send the message that companies do the right thing,” Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in January.

The past few years have shown that consumer boycotts tend to emerge from the party out of power in Washington. During Joe Biden’s presidency, conservatives boycotted brands deemed overly “woke.” One of the most high-profile cases was the backlash against Bud Light after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a social media campaign. Parent company Anheuser-Busch lost $395 million in the months that followed, as calls for a boycott grew.

Now, with Donald Trump back in the White House, liberal consumers appear more prepared to push back against political shifts through their spending choices.