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Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle Federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs

In a sweeping reversal of federal diversity initiatives, President Donald Trump's administration has directed all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) staff to be placed on paid leave, signaling the start of a broader effort to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government. The directive, outlined in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Tuesday, follows an executive order signed by Trump on his first day of his second term.

 

Key Directives

Staff Placement and Program Removal:

All federal DEI staff are to be put on paid leave by Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Agencies are instructed to remove public DEI-related webpages and cancel any DEI training or contracts.

Reporting and Compliance:

Federal workers must report any DEI programs rebranded to obscure their purpose within 10 days or face consequences.

Agencies are required to compile a list of DEI offices and staff as of Election Day and prepare a plan to lay off those workers by next Friday.

Affirmative Action Rollback:

Another executive order rescinds President Lyndon Johnson’s affirmative action order for federal contractors, significantly curtailing DEI programs among federal contractors and grant recipients.

Broader Context

The move is part of an aggressive agenda to end DEI initiatives in federal agencies and private companies. Trump's executive order accuses the Biden administration of embedding "discrimination" programs into government operations through DEI mandates, which critics argue promote reverse discrimination.

Trump's efforts build on his previous term, during which he banned anti-bias training addressing systemic racism within federal agencies. Biden had promptly rescinded that order and launched a government-wide DEI initiative that Trump is now reversing.

 

Implications for the Federal Workforce

The Biden administration had sought to embed DEI practices into the federal workforce, including:

Mandating yearly diversity plans and progress reports.

Creating a Chief Diversity Officers Council.

Launching a dashboard to track demographic trends in hiring and promotions.

With the Trump administration's directive, these efforts will be eliminated, along with roles and offices dedicated to diversity promotion. DEI-related goals in performance reviews and other federal equity plans will also be scrapped.

 

Corporate Impact

Trump's anti-DEI campaign aligns with a growing backlash against corporate diversity practices. Several major companies, including Walmart and Facebook, have already scaled back diversity programs in response to conservative-led lawsuits and changing political tides.

 

A Look Ahead

While the full implementation of these changes may take months or years, Trump’s anti-DEI agenda signals a significant cultural and operational shift for federal agencies and contractors. The administration has also hinted at using the Department of Justice to investigate private companies for DEI-related practices that are perceived as discriminatory against non-minority groups.

The move is expected to spark significant political and legal challenges, as well as resistance from DEI advocates and federal employees affected by the changes.

This policy overhaul marks one of the most direct and sweeping efforts by the Trump administration to reshape federal workforce practices and roll back diversity initiatives in the United States.