Al Sharpton's DEI stunt backfires spectacularly after liberal icon marches in support of Costco: 'kiss of death'

Costco shoppers warned that Al Sharpton's involvement in a 'buy in' celebrating the grocer's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies could be the 'kiss of death.'

The retail giant and its shareholders defied President Donald Trump and conservative activists by sticking to their DEI policies last week.

Controversial Reverand Sharpton led 100 members of his National Action Network through the Harlem Costco to spend their money in a show of gratitude for the decision.

'Leading a buy-in with 100+ @NationalAction members at the @Costco location in Harlem, NYC to show support for the company's strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI),' Rev. Sharpton said in a post on X. 

Sharpton revealed in a speech outside the store that he'd bought 100 $25 gift vouchers for each buy in participant to spend inside. 

"We’re going shopping at Costco because they’ve stood with us. People that stand with us, we will stand with them," he said. 

But the move has been sharply criticized online due to Sharpton's divisive reputation. Some critics called his involvement as the 'kiss of death' for Costco.

'Al Sharpton? Kiss of death for Costco,' one said.

'As a life long customer when Rev Al Sharpton is using you as Liberal Party tool I am done with you. Sharpton is the kiss of death,' another added.

Others said they would now boycott the retailer due to their disappointment in Costco aligning itself with Sharpton.

It is unclear if Costco had any knowledge of Sharpton's plans. 

'I wonder how much they love Al Sharpton now that they’re getting bud lighted. I’m cancelling my memberships auto renewal this week and won’t be shopping there again,' one critic said, referencing the backlash Bud Light faced for using transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in an advertisement in 2023.

'If Al Sharpton shows up, you’re most definitely on the wrong side of history,' another said, while a third described him as a 'chaos agent.'

Sharpton was slammed for accepting a $500,000 payment from Kamala Harris' team during the presidential election campaign just weeks before a gushing interview with her which aired on MSNBC.

Harris' campaign allegedly gave two $250,000 payments to Sharpton's National Action Network on September 5 and October 1.

And on October 20, Sharpton's went on to praise Harris' 'extraordinary historic campaign' in a gushing interview, and branded Donald Trump 'hostile and erratic.'

MSNBC has stayed silent over the payment, despite suspending Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough in 2010 for making $4,000 in campaign donations.

At the company's annual meeting last week, they voted against a proposal from a conservative activist group that challenged diversity, equity and inclusion policies at Costco.

The vote was seen as an early test of investor views about the value of corporate DEI programs, which many companies added or beefed up starting in 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter movement. 

More than 98 percent of the shareholders voted against examining DEI policies on Thursday. 

Ahead of the vote, retail expert Neil Saunders told DailyMail.com that Costco takes the view that its various programs have helped it to build a strong business.

'Given the positive results over recent years it is impossible to argue that Costco management doesn't know what it's doing,' Saunders, of Global Data, said. 

'There is an element of them saying leave us to get on with the job. While some customers might dislike the policy, I doubt many will defect as it is not something that is visible or that directly impacts shoppers.'

It comes after major companies such as Walmart, Ford, John Deere, and Tractor Supply bowed to pressure and rowed back on their DEI commitments. 

In July, John Deere made a huge U-turn on its DEI practices in the face of opposition and a damaging boycott from farmers and conservatives. 

The company said in a statement it would drop 'socially motivated messaging' and 'diversity quotas and pronoun identification' and distance itself from 'cultural awareness parades.'

The $61 billion-a-year firm had come under fire over sponsoring a Pride event for children as young as three and other DEI efforts, even as it shuttered plants and sacked American workers.