Target's Political Donations to Republicans Backfired

Conservatives' boycott of Target over its support for the LGBTQ+ community comes despite the company donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates during the 2022 midterm elections, according to OpenSecrets, an organization that tracks political donations.

Target has found itself at the center of conservative outrage over its support for the LGBTQ+ community. The company, which currently sells merchandise celebrating Pride month including in years past, is now facing boycotts and protests from anti-LGBTQ+ advocates, forcing it to remove some of its Pride merchandise from some of its stores.

Many other corporations, including Bud Light and Disney, are facing similar boycotts as conservatives say businesses should not weigh in on hot-button culture war issues such as LGBTQ+ rights. However, those who support the LGBTQ+ community say these businesses have a right to free speech and that they should not cave into homophobia or transphobia.

Despite the now-contentious relationship between Target and conservatives, the company donated substantial funds to help Republicans win elections during last year's midterms.

A Target store in Los Angeles is seen on August 17, 2022. Conservatives' boycott of Target over its support for the LGBTQ+ community come despite the company donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates during the 2022 midterm elections, according to OpenSecrets, an organization that tracks political donations. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits corporations from making direct donations to political campaigns in connection with federal elections, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Candidates, however, are allowed to accept donations from corporate-funded political action committees (PAC), though critics allege these donations are oftentimes used by corporations to influence decision-making in Washington, D.C.

Target supports federal candidates through the Target Corp PAC, which spent more than $424,000 on political donations last year.

Target's PAC donated a total of $249,900 to help Republicans get elected in 2022, according to OpenSecrets. Meanwhile, it only donated $174,500 to Democratic campaigns, meaning more than 58 percent of its donations went toward GOP members.

These political donations, however, did not save Target from being publicly criticized by Republican lawmakers. Newsweek reached out to Target's public relations team for comment via email.

Notably, the company generally backed more moderate, pro-business Republicans rather than the party's staunch social conservatives who have been more vocal about Target. Still, the company donated to several Republicans in battleground districts and states who helped deliver the GOP its majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Among the top Republican recipients included Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, former Representative Peter Meijer of Michigan, Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Representative John Curtis of Utah and Representative Steve Womack of Arkansas, all of whom received $10,000 from that PAC.

Meanwhile, Target has lost money amid the controversy surrounding its 2023 Pride merchandise. Since May 27, the company has lost $4 billion in market cap, though other factors beyond conservatives' boycott also have affected its stock, Newsweek previously reported.

These boycotts have continued despite Target pulling and reviewing some of the most controversial items from its shelves. For instance, the company said it would review a swimsuit for transgender women described as "tuck-friendly."

A Target spokesperson previously told Newsweek that these products were pulled due to "threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and wellbeing while at work."