Why CEOs are speaking out about Trump assassination attempt
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Top U.S. CEOs have publicly condemned Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Why it matters: The attack was bigger than politics — an atypical event that leaders felt no controversy around to speak out, experts tell Axios.
Driving the news: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta CEOs have said they're praying for "President Trump's rapid recovery" and called the act of political violence "horrific," "awful," "intolerable," and a "sad day" for America.
- Similar sentiments were shared by leaders from OpenAI, Airbnb, Intel and Dell.
- Executives from Pfizer, GM, Ford and Accenture also weighed in on Sunday.
- "[These CEOs] are in many respects, in the small subset of people whose power and influence rivals that of the president," writes tech analyst Ben Thompson in his Monday newsletter, adding people expect to hear from corporate leadership in occasions like these.
Context: Most companies have learned since the 2016 election to develop a set of rules to dictate when they speak out publicly on certain issues, the head of communications for a major tech company told Axios on Sunday afternoon.
- Saying too much too often can run the risk of statements feeling performative, they added.
- But the issue at the heart of this weekend's violence was atypical and the message — that political violence is bad — is a straightforward one that's not controversial, they said.
Between the lines: Privately, many corporate affairs teams have been preparing statements in anticipation of a heated, contested or potentially violent election this year.
- Following Saturday's attack, a majority of executives kept their communications internal according to several sources Axios spoke to over the weekend.
- Many communicated directly to employees to condemn the violence (including, reportedly, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon), re-enforce civic engagement and activism policies and recall corporate mental health benefit offerings.
What they're saying: "The right apolitical message can go a long way towards keeping employees informed and reassured while helping maintain productivity," says Greg Marose, managing partner at Longacre Square Partners, a firm that advises public companies and major investment firms.
- "For most companies, engaging with employees and keeping internal operations moving will be more important than a public statement. The average customer or client is not overly focused on a corporation's view right now," he added in an emailed interview.
- The businesses and leaders who have spoken up have stature and scale and are typically those that other companies look to in other similar situations, a senior communications strategy consultant told Axios on Sunday night.
The big picture: Workers and the public continue to look to corporate leadership for guidance during moments of tragedy or distress.
- Businesses have remained the most trusted institution since 2021, according to Edelman's Trust Barometer, and 80% of those polled expect CEOs to comment on societal issues.
What we're watching: This is not a crisis management moment for businesses, but a time to manage expectations, the longtime tech executive told Axios.
- Managers should listen to their employees and give flexibility where needed, but the incident will likely not become a big distraction to workers.
The bottom line: "It's no coincidence that many of the world's most profitable and valuable companies devote resources to internal communications," says Marose.
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