When President Howard Taft started the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1912, he did so to give businesses a larger voice in policymaking amid the rising influence and growing power of unions and organized labor. He did so to provide an alternative to unions and the muckraking of the Progressive era.
Now, more than 100 years later, Consumer Research is warning that the once stalwart and supposedly conservative organization has been taken over by the radical Left.
Here's some more from the Woke Alert:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has become the world’s largest and wokest business “advocacy” organization. For years, it has been pushing woke policies such as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and the far-left climate agenda, so it’s no wonder it is also supporting legislation in Congress that helps woke companies while hurting consumers.
The Chamber promotes DEI through its “The Business of Diversity” webpage, where the organization states, “We believe a diverse workforce is a business imperative.” The organization also advocates for DEI with its “Equality of Opportunity Initiative” or EOI, which focuses on “employment, entrepreneurship, education, and criminal justice.”
On a since-deleted webpage, the Chamber bragged about launching the EOI to develop “sustainable solutions to help close opportunity gaps in six key areas: education, employment, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, health, and wealth.”
Will Hild, Executive Director of Consumers' Research, also posted about the Chamber of Commerce's woke capture on X.
The largest, supposedly "conservative," business lobbying org in DC has been taken over by the radical left...
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
They now use their power/influence to actively push a far-left, woke agenda.
It's time that someone told the truth about the @USChamber 🧵 pic.twitter.com/NuIjQoM6No
The @USChamber was started in 1912, modeled after a vision for national commerce laid out by then Republican President William Howard Taft.
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
Taft was pro-business and believed that free markets, free enterprise and minimal regulation could drive economic growth.
The Chamber was…
The modern @USChamber shares almost no resemblance to the vision laid out by Taft.
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
It no longer acts as voice for business, instead it acts as voice for the radical left — using its power to force businesses into compliance with far-left dictates.https://t.co/mWodD7FfgG pic.twitter.com/FbDfdO8pk2
The woke activism at the Chamber of Commerce dates back to at least 2016, when they started bragging about their DEI activism. After the death of George Floyd in 2020, that activism kicked into "overdrive," Hild wrote on X. "They've helped give out millons in openly discriminatory race-based grants, supported the infamous and failed 'Equality Act,' launched a DEI initiative called the 'Equality of Opportunity Initative,' hosted countless speeches and roundtables on DEI, and developed a myriad of resources on 'The Business of Diversity. They've stated that they believe it's both a moral and economic imperative for every business to focus on DEI — and they've encouraged companies to push for both "private and public sector solutions' to address the alleged 'opportunity gap.'"
The Chamber of Commerce is also closely tied to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which is like the Chamber of Commerce for law firms and corporate in-house legal departments. It too pushes the same woke agenda. In a video posted by Hild, Mark Roellig — who was both a board member of LCLD and a speaker/member at Chamber of Commerce events— discussed DEI in the workplace.
While on the subject of DEI, it's important to point out the @USChamber's ties to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
LCLD is like the Chamber of Commerce, but specifically for law firms and in-house corporate legal departments. Their membership includes heads of… pic.twitter.com/WM94lQ9Tif
"You need to include in the objectives of your direct reports and the organization that they will work to advance diversity, it will be included in their reviews, and yes, it will be included in their compensation," Roellig said.
The Chamber of Commerce also engages in climate activism, stating, " "Our climate is changing and humans are contributing to these changes. Inaction is simply not an option."
Next, let's talk about @USChamber's ESG activism and their promotion of climate hysteria:
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
They make very clear where they stand, stating plainly: "Our climate is changing and humans are contributing to these changes. Inaction is simply not an option."
They also make clear that… pic.twitter.com/yM4y3kAe3H
The most alarming part of this report is the Chamber of Commerce fighting against litigation financing. Hild calls it "one of the most fundamental tools in our fight against woke capitalism."
"Litigation financing is critical," Hild wrote. "It allows David to take on Goliath in the legal arena, giving everyday Americans, who dare to resist having radical policies forced down their throats, the support they need to challenge massive woke corporations."
If that wasn't enough to convince you of the @USChamber's institutional rot, allow me to introduce you to the Chamber's latest fight:
— Will Hild (@WillHild) December 10, 2025
They've recently decided to begin attacking litigation financing — one of the most funamental tools in our fight against woke capitalism.…
"The Chamber has aligned themselves with the massive woke corporations that want to undermine this critical tool, further consolidate their power, and increase their ability to crush the little guy," Hild added.
In a statement, Hild said, "It's clear the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has become one of the biggest engines driving woke corporate America. Once a voice for small businesses and Main Street, the Chamber now advocates for DEI mandates, ESG investment schemes, and radical climate policies that punish consumers. They have strayed far from their original mission of advocating for free markets in favor of a political agenda. Now, that the Chamber has made itself a leader in pushing woke policies in corporate boardrooms, it should come as no surprise that they are also supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance, one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology. Consumers' Research will continue to call out organizations like the Chamber for pushing a woke agenda."
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