In the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents, a growing number of corporate leaders are speaking out and calling for a de-escalation of tensions.
However, a new CNBC poll shows some CEOs and executives have kept quiet about the events unfolding in Minneapolis, reflecting that many leaders across the country are still considering the situation — and the risks of making public comments.
Of the 34 leaders across C-suite functions who took a CNBC flash survey regarding corporate response to what has transpired in Minneapolis, only one said their organization had spoken out publicly about the situation.
Among those whose firms have not made a statement, one respondent said the reason is that they are “not opposed to ICE’s conduct in Minnesota”; 9% responded that they are “still contemplating” speaking out; and 18% are “worried about backlash from the Trump administration.” One-third of the leaders (33%) responded that it is “not relevant to their business.”
“It would be a breach of management’s fiduciary duty to use our business for such tangential political purposes. We do not view our silence as an endorsement of current administration policy, action, or personality,” one executive wrote in response to the survey.
A little under one-quarter of respondents said they were “not sure” about the reasons for not commenting on the issue. A few additional respondents wrote in response to the survey that their firms have specific policies in place to never issue comments related to politics, and one said that having clients from many political sides dictates remaining neutral on most issues.
The CNBC flash survey was sent to about 550 C-suite executives on January 26 and 27. The leaders polled are members of the CNBC Councils, a global leadership community of chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief human resource officers, and workforce and technology executives.
Over 70% of the respondents indicated they have offices, do business, or have remote employees based in Minnesota.
Apple, OpenAI CEOs react
A few global business leaders have spoken out following the release of a letter on Sunday signed by CEOs of 60 major Minnesota-based companies — including Target and Best Buy — urging an “immediate de-escalation” of tensions in the state.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who reportedly attended a private screening of the first lady’s new film, “Melania,” at the White House Saturday evening just after the shootings, told Apple employees in a note that he was “heartbroken” by the situation in Minneapolis and called for an easing of tensions.
“This is a time for deescalation,” Cook wrote in a note to employees confirmed by CNBC. Cook wrote, “I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they’re from, and when we embrace our shared humanity.” Cook did not directly mention the two fatal shootings by federal agents. CNBC has reached out to Apple for comment.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also told employees that “what’s happening with ICE is going too far,” in an internal Slack message earlier this week, as first reported by CNBC “Squawk Box” co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin.
Lessons learned over the last five years
While an increasing number of executives have begun to speak out, the response is different than in 2020, when many corporate leaders and companies expressed outrage at the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis. Since then, business leaders have been criticized when their actions don’t meet their rhetoric.
“No one wants to act too fast, no one wants to be reactive,” said Dan Kaplan, managing director and global human resources officers practice leader at ZRG Partners, a global executive search firm. “To go out and be bold and making requests, demands, proclamations on something you can’t operationalize, something that’s not in your control, is a great way to erode trust,” he said.
Companies, especially those that are publicly facing and politically active, may need to consider further whether a response is warranted, some communications experts say.
“One point that we have been reminding clients of is: there is a next chapter to this moment, and I think that you will find a lot of consumers, a lot of stakeholders, and political leaders will remember that silence,” said Brett Bruen, president and CEO of The Global Situation Room, a public affairs consulting firm.
The overwhelming majority of leaders in the CNBC survey agreed it’s not an easy call. More than half (56%) responded that it is “a lot more challenging” to speak out today than in previous occasions when corporations weighed in on social or political causes. Over a quarter (29%) said it’s “somewhat more challenging.” Nearly 12% responded that it’s “about the same,” while only 3% said it’s “a lot easier.”
Researchers have found that companies risk alienating employees, customers, and investors by taking a side. Taking a “neutral” position, as some CEOs did in Minnesota by calling for “officials to work together to foster progress,” may avoid that risk, according to a 2024 report.
“When you deflect, you satisfy people that want you to speak up, but you don’t divide the country in half with the things that you’re saying,” said Michael Durney, an assistant professor at the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, and lead researcher of the study.
Leadership consultants say executives should also stay within their areas of control. “The way to do it is to focus on issues where you can have an impact and focus where you can keep your employees safe and look after their wellbeing,” Kaplan said. “If you can’t have an impact, just being bold, being reactive, being emotional, doesn’t really help anyone.”