Harley-Davidson Responds To Accusations Of 'Woke' Policies

Harley-Davidson issued a public statement after several customers accused the company of catering to what they perceived as "woke" policies , including diversity, equity and inclusion hirings.

“It is critical to our business that we hire and retain the best talent and that all employees feel welcome,” the statement obtained by FOX News reads. “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.”

Harley-Davidson also claimed it was reassessing employee training initiatives and sponsorships to refocus on its most loyal customers.

“As a consumer brand, we will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining our loyal riding community, in addition to the support we already provide to first responders, active military members and veterans," the statement added.

Harley-Davidson faced criticism from longtime customers who claimed the motorcycle company "used" them to build a "bada**" brand then abandoned them to target more upscale riders. In July, conservative social media influencer Robby Starbuck shared internal policies in which he claimed the company had "gone totally woke" on his X account.

Starbuck celebrated Harley-Davidson's announcement of its change of course during a phone interview with FOX News Digital on Monday (August 19).

“We have a movement to bring down DEI and wokeism in corporate America and inject some sanity back into the workplace,” Starbuck said. “Corporations can’t ignore our movement anymore. They have to take us seriously. They made this statement because we’re obviously having an impact on their customer base.”

Starbuck claimed his social media movement was now "three for three" after combating similar past initiatives made by John Deere and Tractor Supply Co.