Corporate America Can’t Keep Quiet Forever

Business Insider and Axios contributed to this report.

America’s top business leaders have gone strangely quiet after the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. The silence is loud – and a lot of people are noticing.

To be fair, the hesitation is understandable. Speaking out risks angering Donald Trump and his supporters, and this White House has shown it’s more than willing to punish companies, universities, law firms and media outlets that don’t fall in line. Add the threat of boycotts, political backlash and another round of culture-war whiplash, and staying quiet probably feels like the safest option.

But for many Americans, that’s not good enough.

Here’s the blunt question hanging in the air: Do you believe masked federal agents were justified in shooting and killing a protester on a city street?

If the answer is yes, there’s nothing more to discuss.

If the answer is no – if what you saw this weekend made your stomach drop – then say that. Clearly. Publicly. Without the tired “both sides” framing. Just acknowledge what millions of people saw with their own eyes and found horrifying.

No one is asking for glossy ad campaigns or choreographed Instagram posts. This isn’t about corporate theater. It’s about a simple statement of values: that it is wrong for federal agents to kill protesters in the streets, and that you condemn it.

You could go further, if you choose. Call for accountability. Demand an independent investigation into Pretti’s death. Ask why federal agents were operating the way they were. Or don’t. But at least say the basic thing out loud.

Yes, there’s risk. The Trump administration moved quickly to frame Pretti as a violent threat, calling him a “would-be assassin” without presenting evidence. Trump himself posted an image of a gun officials claim was taken from Pretti and insisted agents “had to protect themselves,” later praising them for doing a “phenomenal job.” That rhetoric makes clear what kind of pushback critics might face.

Still, the bigger danger right now isn’t backlash – it’s silence.

When powerful institutions say nothing, they send a message that everyone else should stay quiet too. And that silence can look a lot like permission.

That’s why some tech workers are trying to force the issue. More than 450 employees from companies including Google, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce and OpenAI have signed a letter urging their CEOs to confront the White House, push ICE out of cities, and cut contracts with the agency. The letter, organized by ICEout.tech, argues that industry leaders have leverage – and have used it before, successfully, to stop aggressive enforcement plans.

So far, most executives aren’t biting.

Axios reports that companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, OpenAI and Salesforce declined to comment when asked about Pretti’s killing, potential use of tech in protest surveillance, or executives attending a White House event just hours after the shooting. Microsoft said only that it was “looking into the matter.”

The quiet marks a sharp turn from past behavior. During Trump’s first term, tech leaders were often vocal on immigration, race and LGBTQ+ rights. In his second, many have shifted rightward, embraced pro-AI and economic policies, and made a point of being seen alongside the president.

A few have broken ranks. Yann LeCun, Meta’s former chief AI scientist, called the killing “murder.” Google DeepMind’s Jeff Dean said the shooting was “absolutely shameful.” Box CEO Aaron Levie, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and others echoed similar outrage. Some said they normally avoid politics – but that this crossed a line.

Josh Miller, CEO of the Browser Company, put it plainly:

“Call it morals, call it decency… Our government executed a man yesterday.”

Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah said the killing “shocks the conscience,” even by his high bar for speaking out.

And that’s the point. Business leaders are often quick to weigh in when taxes rise or regulations loom. Their reluctance now – when the issue is the killing of a civilian by federal agents – is hard to ignore.

Silence may feel safer in the short term. But it also tells the public that even moments like this aren’t worth speaking up over. And once that becomes normal, it stops being shocking at all.

If you believe this was wrong, say so. Now. Before saying nothing becomes the habit.