President Donald Trump wasted no time in overturning his predecessor’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Within his first week in office, he issued a series of executive orders effectively dismantling these programs across the federal government. This decisive move extended beyond the federal sphere, influencing the private sector to reassess and often eliminate their own DEI programs.
One of the initial actions saw the immediate closure of all federal DEI offices, resulting in the reassignment of staff. Simultaneously, all outward-facing media, including websites and social media accounts, were shut down, and pending documents related to DEI initiatives were withdrawn. This swift action was followed by the cancellation of contracts focused on DEI, reportedly saving the government hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Further executive actions targeted workplace and higher education discrimination based on race and sex, prohibiting preferential treatment under the guise of DEI. A memo specifically addressed the Biden administration’s DEI hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ordering a return to merit-based hiring practices. The memo emphasized the importance of prioritizing flight safety and competency over DEI criteria.
The Trump administration’s efforts extended beyond the federal level. The Department of Education issued warnings to state education departments, threatening the loss of federal funding if DEI policies were not removed. This followed the president’s executive orders aiming to eliminate federal funding for what he deemed discriminatory indoctrination in K-12 schools.
The ripple effect was significant. Major corporations, including Meta, McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Lowe’s, and Toyota, among many others, either scaled back or completely eliminated their DEI programs following the election. Even the National Institutes of Health rescinded its own DEI-focused scientific integrity policy, citing the need to restore the integrity of science.
The administration also canceled grants related to DEI, such as one focused on “queering the curriculum” for family medicine doctors. Furthermore, several federal agencies ended contracts with LinkedIn due to the company’s DEI policies, demonstrating a clear commitment to aligning federal spending with the president’s broader agenda. The move reflected a broader effort to eliminate what the administration viewed as wasteful spending on DEI initiatives.
In summary, President Trump’s administration undertook a comprehensive and rapid dismantling of DEI programs across the federal government. This aggressive approach had a far-reaching impact, influencing policy and practice within the private sector as well, marking a significant shift in the national approach to DEI.
