rich 888 Trump Administration Pushes To Eliminate Diversity Programs; Critiques Argue Civil Rights

The Trump administration has launched a fresh effort to dismantle diversityrich 888, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the US government. 

On Wednesday, a memo was sent to federal employees urging them to report any government efforts to hide such programs, which aim to create fairer opportunities for underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

This directive comes a day after President Trump pressed the private sector to join in his push and told government employees managing DEI programs they would face paid leave if found continuing the initiatives. The recent executive orders issued by Trump signify a significant shift from the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who had prioritised DEI efforts across federal agencies to address inequalities in hiring and promotions.

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The notification shared on the White House website, issued on January 20, 2025, emphasises the administration’s policy shift, framing DEI programs as a “concerted effort” under the Biden administration to “infiltrate” various aspects of government operations.

The White House memo criticises the Biden administration’s push for DEI, calling it wasteful and discriminatory. 

The notification states: “Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military.  This was a concerted effort stemming from President Biden’s first day in office, when he issued Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

DEI programs are designed to tackle long-standing racial, gender, and social inequalities by ensuring equal opportunities for marginalised groups. However, Trump and his supporters have criticised these programs, claiming they lead to reverse discrimination and undermine merit-based hiring processes. Trump has frequently argued that these programs discriminate against non-minority Americans and reduce the emphasis on qualifications in job selection and promotions.

“Pursuant to Executive Order 13985 and follow-on orders, nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted “Equity Action Plans” to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government.  The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”: the order further stated.

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The new directive calls for a sweeping review and termination of DEI-related initiatives, with an explicit mandate to eliminate positions such as “Chief Diversity Officer” and end “equity action plans” and programs. It directs federal agencies to assess the impact of previous DEI policies, with an emphasis on “reward[ing] individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work” rather than considering DEI factors in hiring or employee evaluations.

“Implementation.  (a)  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), assisted by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government,ph222 casino under whatever name they appear.  To carry out this directive, the Director of OPM, with the assistance of the Attorney General as requested, shall review and revise, as appropriate, all existing Federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs to comply with this order.  Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements,” the Trump administration order emphasised.

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This policy shift is reinforced in Section 2 of the order, which requires agency heads to take action to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions” within 60 days. The White House also calls for the elimination of any DEI-related grants or contracts, signalling a clear break from the prior administration’s approach to advancing racial and gender equity.

The new directive warned federal employees they would face “adverse consequences” if they failed to report any attempts to conceal DEI programs. The memo highlighted that some government officials might be using “coded or imprecise language” to hide these programs, and employees were given a 10-day deadline to report such efforts. However, the White House has not yet provided any specific evidence of attempts to conceal DEI initiatives.

The directive was sent to employees across various departments, with messages attributed to key members of Trump’s cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Acting Attorney General James McHenry.

Civil rights advocates criticise Trump’s order on shutting down DEI 

Trump’s latest move has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights advocates. According to a Reuters report, Psyche Williams-Forson, a professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, argued that long-standing racial resentments are resurging and fueling Trump’s political comeback, despite legal challenges against him, including felony convictions and civil judgments related to fraud and sexual abuse.

US Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, condemned the move as a setback to decades of progress for Black Americans. He accused Trump of trying to “turn back the clock” on civil rights advancements. Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, warned that Trump’s executive orders would harm American competitiveness by undermining equality in hiring and workplace policies. She stated that Trump’s actions signal a willingness to sacrifice civil rights and economic growth for an extremist agenda.

Rev. Al Sharpton, the founder of the National Action Network, announced that his organization and its partners would identify two companies in the next 90 days to boycott for abandoning DEI commitments. This action is part of a broader coordinated effort following Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In addition to targeting government employees, Trump’s administration is also pressuring private companies that receive federal contracts to abandon DEI programs and race- and sex-based hiring practices. The US government allocated $739 billion in contracts in 2023, and Trump’s actions could significantly impact efforts to ensure minority-owned businesses are not discriminated against.

A particularly significant part of Trump’s agenda is the rescinding of a 1965 executive order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This order, which prohibited discrimination in employment by federal contractors and implemented affirmative action policies, had been a major victory in the civil rights movementrich 888, aiming to correct systemic inequalities faced by Black Americans and other marginalized groups.