Securities Regulation Daily Wrap Up, RISK MANAGEMENT—Top threat confronting companies seen as targeting or criticism from Donald Trump, (Oct 9, 2025)

By Brad Rosen, J.D.

The latest Reputation Risk Index, issued by Global Situation Room, found that for the first time since he retook the presidency, Donald Trump has emerged as the most serious threat to corporate brands.

Donald Trump’s aggressive and interventionist approach to the presidential bully pulpit is starting to take a serious toll on some business’ bottom lines and forcing many decisionmakers to rethink a wide range of operations, from logo designs to their leadership choices, according to the recent Reputation Risk Index report issued by Global Situation Room (GSR), a global public relations firm. The company’s recently released Q3 data reveals that the top threat confronting companies is targeting or criticism of the president.

Significant revenue and reputational consequences hang in the balance. The GSR report noted that targeting of companies by President Trump, his administration, and his allies has garnered widespread attention in the media and online communities and has culminated in significant revenue and reputational consequences. Additionally, even companies that don’t seek to draw the ire of the administration can find themselves on the wrong side of its policies and, thus, face massive reputational damage.

The report cites the example of the president’s “woke AI” executive order, which instructs companies to address alleged bias in AI systems, and failure to comply can put federal contracts at risk. Critics have argued this creates perverse incentives that can weaken AI safety protections. Another example mentioned in the report points to when the administration imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas. Major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google scrambled to maintain favor with the administration, while at the same time they desperately sought to avoid losing access to the foreign talent pipeline that powers their operations.

Unprecedented power to back up threats. The report also notes that whether through executive orders that reshape industry practices or visa fees that threaten talent pipelines, businesses that cross Donald Trump can face substantial risks, as his social media reach and Republican control of Congress give him unprecedented power to back up his threats with Congressional action, which can add to the reputational and revenue damage.

While some CEOs have journeyed to the White House to offer concessions or gifts to the president in an effort to avoid or address his ire, the report indicates that many of the attacks launched against companies can come from a wide range of MAGA influencers that can then generate a cacophony of costly criticism against a company, even before the president weighs in with a social media post of his own. These occurrences can lead to investigations or actions by federal agencies or Congress as well.

A tipping point. Isabel Guzman, former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and chair of GSR’s Global Risk Advisory Council stated, “This quarter marks a tipping point in how reputational risk is playing out in a hyper-polarized, technology-amplified environment which contributes to the Index.” She added, “President Trump’s use of his platform to single out companies has turned traditionally heated political rhetoric into both a scolding reputational and revenue threat."

After identifying the risks emanating from a displeased President Trump, the report also ranked some more conventional risks that companies wrestle with including fraud, organizational ethics failures, data privacy violations, and public CEO controversies.

IndustryNews: CorporateFinance RiskManagement