Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Albert Mohler

Episode: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Host: R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Theme: Cultural Commentary from a Biblical Perspective

Overview

In this episode, Albert Mohler offers a comprehensive examination of recent shifts in major corporate and institutional ideologies, focusing on the rapid decline of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) agendas. He situates these trends within the broader context of American and global culture, business, and politics, interpreting them through a Christian worldview. Mohler scrutinizes symbolic and substantive shifts among corporate elites, highlights the moral component of economics, and discusses the consequences of corporate activism, using Target Corporation as a case study.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Decline and Rebranding of DEI Initiatives

• DEI as Embarrassment:

  • Five to six years ago, DEI was front and center in American culture; now, many corporations and educational institutions are quietly distancing themselves from it (00:30).
  • “Certain initials that were absolutely prominent five years ago are now a bit embarrassing... many corporations and other institutions are moving as quickly away from some of these initials as possible.”
    —Albert Mohler (00:30)

• Relabeling, Not Removal:

  • While DEI offices have disappeared from some organizations, Mohler warns that often, these initiatives are simply being renamed rather than abandoned (02:00).
  • “Christians who think we’ve won a battle only to find out we lost it...in the longer run, we have to watch this kind of thing very, very carefully.”
    —Mohler (02:10)

• Identity Politics and Intersectionality:

  • Explains how intersectionality compounded perceived oppression and led to a competition over who is most oppressed, which translated into preferential treatment in policy (01:00).

2. ESG: Rise, Fall, and Corporate Retreat

• Origins and Prominence of ESG:

  • ESG rose to become a “defining feature of Wall Street investing” after Larry Fink of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, made it front-page news in 2020 (04:00).
  • “Every government, company and shareholder must confront climate change... a fundamental reshaping of finance.”
    —Larry Fink, quoted by Mohler (05:25)

• Virtue Signaling in Davos:

  • Symbolic gestures (like Fink’s “warming stripes” scarf at Davos) exemplified the performative aspect of ESG commitments (06:00).
  • Mohler’s take: “Here you have an American CEO...who showed up wearing a scarf that...ludicrously demonstrated what was called to be the stripes that mark 150 years of rising global temperatures.” (06:35)

• Rapid Corporate Backtracking:

  • By 2026, companies are “trying to act like 2020 didn’t even happen,” with key alliances (Net Zero Banking Alliance, Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative) collapsing and massive investor withdrawals (08:45).
  • “Six years later, many of those Wall Street institutions have walked back or abandoned their commitments... Investors have withdrawn tens of billions of dollars each quarter from ESG funds.”
    —New York Times, cited by Mohler (09:10)

• Financial Reality Trumps Ideology:

  • Market feedback (money walking out of ESG funds) proved more persuasive than ideological posturing.
  • “Turns out you really can’t have both [the ESG agenda and predictable, stable returns on investment].”
    —Mohler (12:30)

3. Hypocrisy and Consequences Among Corporate Elites

• Empty Promises Exposed:

  • Corporate leaders made promises they were either unable or unwilling to keep—highlighting the idealistic but impractical nature of many ESG pledges (16:15).
  • “It was impossible that they follow through on them. But they didn't come back to say, you know, that was really stupid. That was an impossible statement.”
    —Mohler (17:25)

• Insider Revelations:

  • Terrence Keeley, former BlackRock executive: “All of these ESG funds are wrong. They weren’t going to generate better returns. They are not going to make the world a better place. ESG as an investment thesis should be entirely shut down.” (17:55)

• Political Dynamics:

  • Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection triggered a rapid exodus from ESG commitments.
  • “After President Trump’s reelection...almost every major American bank and financial institution withdrew from the Net Zero banking alliance, causing the group to fold.”
    —NYT, quoted by Mohler (21:30)

4. Moral and Economic Worldview Analysis

• The Deep Link Between Economics and Morality:

  • Mohler ties financial decision-making to biblically grounded ethics, noting the historical overlap between applied theology and economics (14:00).
  • “If you say financial, you’re saying moral, because as the Bible makes clear, how we handle money...that’s a true test of what we actually believe.”
    —Mohler (14:15)

• Changing Cultural Fashions:

  • Cultural and corporate preoccupations shift rapidly. What was once a required moral stance is now an embarrassment.
  • “These massive cultural preoccupations and obsessions change, and sometimes change pretty quickly.”
    —Mohler (13:35)

• The Challenge of Honest Public Discourse:

  • Honest conversations about climate or economic policy are rare because of competing interests and agendas (23:30).
  • “It is so difficult to have an honest conversation about these very issues.... It’s just very difficult to have an honest discussion about these things, especially when you have so many people playing into these agendas.”
    —Mohler (23:45)

5. Target Corporation: Caught in the Cultural Crossfire

• Target’s Progressive Activism and Blowback:

  • Mohler recounts Target’s forays into left-leaning advocacy (transgender bathroom policy in 2016; children’s pride merchandise in 2023) and the resulting conservative backlash (26:00).
  • “Target, frankly, just really tried to get out front on the left on this. And they paid a price for it. But they didn't learn anything, evidently...”
    —Mohler (27:00)

• Double-Bound by Activist Demands:

  • After scaling back pride displays, Target upset leftist activists as well, now facing pressure (including clergy) over perceived complicity with immigration enforcement (28:00).

• Takeaway for Corporate America:

  • Mohler concludes that activism can be a lose-lose for companies, with enduring reputational and financial consequences.
  • “When you make a mistake like Target made ... it’s virtually impossible to undo that kind of mistake.”
    —Mohler (29:15)

• Moral Consumerism:

  • “Your customers are making moral decisions when they decide what they're going to buy and from whom they're going to buy it. And it turns out that a lot of Americans, including millions and millions of Christian Americans, actually do keep that in mind.”
    —Mohler (30:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Money talks and money walks. When money walks, guess what? The financial markets pay a lot of attention.” (10:05)
• “The biggest proponents of ESG found out, by the way, it doesn't work. And it doesn’t work with customers.” (11:45)
• On corporate hypocrisy: “All the institutions, the elites, the media, the academics… so many corporations said yes, but when they actually got down to business, evidently they never intended to follow through on this.” (17:10)
• “It worked out until it didn't.” —Lindy Luber, as quoted by Mohler (19:05)
• “Thoughtful Christians will understand the economy itself is not simple... those economic decisions are always unavoidably moral.” (30:25)

Important Timestamps and Segments

• 00:30: Introduction; the changing perception of DEI.
• 05:25: Larry Fink’s ESG announcement and symbolic action at Davos.
• 08:45: Corporate backtracking and investor flight from ESG.
• 14:15: The connection between economics and biblical morality.
• 17:55: Revelation by BlackRock executive about the emptiness of ESG funds.
• 21:30: Political climate after Trump’s 2024 reelection and financial institutions' response.
• 23:45: The challenge of honest discussions regarding climate change and economics.
• 26:00: Target’s activism and conservative backlash.
• 28:00: Renewed left-wing activism targeting Target.
• 30:10: Conclusion on the moral dimension of consumer decisions.

Tone and Style

Mohler maintains a reflective, sometimes wry tone. He contextualizes cultural and economic developments within a broad historical and theological frame, blending analysis with cautionary advice to his largely Christian audience about evaluating both moral and practical implications of economic phenomena.

Summary prepared for The Briefing with Albert Mohler, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. For more episodes and resources, visit albertmohler.com.