9 Ways The Business World Is Reacting To President Trump

You may think that, in an ideal world, business and politics should stay completely separate. But in the real world, we know it doesn't work that way.

With a new president who is not only a former businessman himself but a successful showman inspiring passionate reactions on both sides of the political divide, many American companies are finding themselves in the middle of a tense debate. How they respond to the political moment has the potential to affect both their relationship with customers and their relationship with the government.

Here's how different companies and entities are reacting to the new times:

1. Investors

Perhaps the biggest story of the new presidency is the stock market. Since the election, Wall Street has seen huge gains — mostly, analysts believe, because of his announced plans for cutting taxes and easing regulations. This "Trump rally," as some have called it, stunned some observers, who see the president as unpredictable.

There's some recent evidence that enthusiasm has waned somewhat, but overall the market remains strong. It's not clear how long this path will continue — but it's certainly the story to watch.

2. Starbucks

Starbucks issued a letter condemning Trump's order on immigration and pledged to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. Trump lashed out at the company for pledging to hire refugees instead of veterans.

However, Starbucks pointed out that it pledged to hire 10,000 veterans in 2013. Since 2014, the company says it has hired as many as 8,000 veterans and spouses of military personnel.

3. New York Times

Trump has repeatedly ridiculed the Times for its reporting and has accused the company of failing. However, Trump seems to actually be good for the paper's bottom line — subscriptions spiked after his election and continued to grow, recently crossing 3 million digital and print subscribers.

Cheekily, the paper has also put its spin on White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's phrase "alternative facts" in a new advertising slogan: "Just facts. No alternatives."

4. Manufacturing

American manufacturing appears to be getting a lift from the Trump presidency as well, as several Asian manufacturers have announced plans to build more products in the U.S. It's not clear how much of this would have happened without Trump in the White House and to what extent the companies are simply using the publicity to gain the president's favor.

Companies who've made such announcements include Samsung, LG Electronics, Foxconn and Hyundai Motor Group.

5. 84 Lumber

The relatively obscure 84 Lumber, a Pennsylvania company, took a bit of an odd path in this story. It submitted a Super Bowl ad depicting two immigrants coming to a border wall and eventually entering through a door, followed by the words, "The will to succeed is always welcome here." Fox determined it was too controversial; the commercial was cut off before this ending.

Many took the ad as a jab at the president, but it appears to be the exact opposite. "President Trump said there should be a 'big, beautiful door in the wall so people can enter legally,'" the company wrote in a tweet. "We couldn't agree more."

6. Gun industry

The great irony for the gun makers is that when their preferred candidate wins, their sales suffer. Gun company sales soared under Obama, likely because of fear that the president would restrict access to guns.

With NRA-approved Trump in the White House, gun owners are less worried — which means the guns and ammo sales have plummeted.

7. Private prisons

On the other side of the coin, the private prison industry started to contract under the Obama administration. With Trump in the oval office — a man who ran on "law and order" — the industry's stock prices have rebounded.

8. Nieman Marcus

The high-end retailer Neiman Marcus decided this month to stop selling First Daughter Ivanka Trump's jewelry line. The company passed this off as one of many product decisions it makes throughout the year, but it comes in the wake of a growing call to boycott products associated with the president and his family.

9. Uber

Users expressed outrage at the ride-hailing company Uber, which continued sending drivers to JFK Airport during the first protests of President Trump's executive order on immigration after a taxi union went on strike. #DeleteUber began trending quickly, with many users calling out CEO Travis Kalanick for participating in Trump's business advisory council.

Kalanick later told Trump he opposed the order and pulled out of the council, and his company pledged to spend $3 million to support its immigrant workers.

Photo credit: Mike Mozart