Daniel Cameron leading fight against 'woke' companies: Americans want 'quality products,' not 'agendas'

Former Kentucky Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron spoke with Fox News Digital about his new role as CEO of the 1792 Exchange.

Jan 22, 2024 - 07:33
Daniel Cameron leading fight against 'woke' companies: Americans want 'quality products,' not 'agendas'

Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is holding companies accountable for caving to what he sees as "far-left ideology."

Cameron has been appointed as the new CEO of the "1792 Exchange," a nonprofit that seeks to "preserve freedom" by putting pressure on companies that prioritize political agendas over profit.

"I'm exceedingly excited to be the new CEO of 1792 Exchange, where we essentially want to make sure we get businesses back to the business of business. We want to make sure that the companies are, at the end of the day, producing a product. They're not pushing an agenda," he told Fox News Digital.

"We're committed to making sure that the values of the men, women and children all across this country are reflected in the businesses that we see across our nation," Cameron continued. 

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Dismantling ESG investments is at the forefront of the conservative group's mission. Environmental, Social and Corporate governance or "ESG," are non-financial investment goals which Republican critics have called "liberal activism masquerading as corporate responsibility."

"Stifling investments in oil and gas," fighting climate change, promoting gun control and abortion access are some of the types of ESG goals corporations are guided to pursue, lawmakers say.

Cameron believes these corporate guidelines are anti-American and contrary to what most Americans want their money going toward.

"ESG at the end of the day is something that I think a lot of far left advocates have been pushing to change the fabric of this nation. And it really goes against what our founding was based upon. And it goes against what the working men and women of this country believe in," he remarked.

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"Michael Jordan said famously in the 90s that Republicans buy shoes [too]," Cameron continued. "Organizations or businesses shouldn't give in to far-left ideology that places an agenda over products. At the end of the day, folks at home, they just want to make sure that their product works effectively, that it's of good quality. They don't want an agenda pushed on that as well. And so that's what 1792 is about, is about making sure that we get back to the basics at our businesses," he added.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion "DEI" metrics also guide a majority of large companies. Airplane manufacturing company Boeing, which allegedly prioritized DEI hiring in recent years, found itself in the news recently after a door on one of the models operated by Alaska Airlines blew off mid-flight.

In an X post last week, billionaire Elon Musk asked if customers wanted to fly in an airplane made by a company that prioritizes DEI hiring over safety management. 

Cameron said it was important to look at the data before dispensing judgment' in this case. However, he said DEI advocates have pushed many companies to "sacrifice the idea of merit" and instead judge people "based on the color of their skin."

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The former Republican official joined 1792 Exchange after losing his gubernatorial bid last November.

While he was Kentucky's AG, Cameron "led a multi-state investigation into Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo for ESG-related investment practices," the group said in a press release.

Fox Business' Brian Flood and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.