To some observers, this is a chilling move that strikes at the foundation of civil rights. Yet Trump’s DEI and affirmative action ban has received at least partially positive reviews not only from the MAGA right and the anti-woke commentariat but from liberal centrists like Matt Yglesias and Noah Smith (“an idea whose time has probably come”) and even some leftists who regard DEI as feelgood corporate flimflam.

Target is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion program along with other equity initiatives, the retailer said on Friday, becoming the latest U.S. firm to pull back these policies, meant to boost racial and ethnic representation at workplaces.