Costco To Face a Major MAGA Boycott — Here's Why

It would appear that Costco has earned the ire of some of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters — who also go by the nickname MAGA for the slogan used during Trump's 2016 presidential run, which included the words "Make America Great Again" — after the company made several high-profile decisions that clashed with the president's politics.

As such, everyone from high-profile politicians to regular citizens is calling for a mass boycott of the bulk retailer.

But, unlike the more left-leaning boycott of Target, it doesn't seem like there is as much passion behind the suggested shopping stoppage, and not many people seem to have rallied behind the boycott.

Curious what Costco did to anger so many people? Keep reading as we break down the decisions that seem to be sparking the boycott, as well as whether or not Costco's sales numbers appear to have been impacted by an earlier boycott that was suggested at the start of 2025.

Almost immediately after Trump's inauguration, many retailers began to backpedal on company policies that didn't align with Trump's vision, which included those surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (often referred to as DEI). While some companies drew negative attention when they reversed their DEI plans, like Target, others drew attention for doing the opposite, like Costco.

In fact, many disgruntled shoppers moved their money to the bulk retailer after leaving Target.

However, MAGAs were unhappy with Costco's decision to remain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, and they began calling for boycotts in January 2025. In fact, one Pennsylvania mayor even posted on the platform formally known as Twitter, saying that he and his family of 12 would stop shopping at the store immediately.

However, in a March 2025 report from Black Enterprise, it appeared that Costco's traffic increased by 7 million shoppers during a four-week period.

Anti-Costco sentiment is back on the rise as MAGA calls for another boycott of the store after Costco announced plans to sue Trump.

According to CNN, the retailer filed legal paperwork against the Trump administration on Nov. 28, in an effort to get some money back from the tariffs that were imposed by Trump. CNN says that the retailer claims that Trump had overstepped the administration's authority when they set up the tariffs, and now Costco wants its money back.

While Costco may be one of the bigger brands planning to take the administration to court, it may not be the only one. CNN says that multiple companies have reached out to the White House to ask for extensions on tariff payments, pointing to how complicated the code is to understand.

This could potentially make it easier for these companies to get a refund from the administration if the Supreme Court overrules the administration's tariff plan, forcing them to reimburse the funds.

That being said, any reimbursement plan is likely to be a messy one, and could require the administration to set up a complicated repayment system that could possibly make things take even longer.