After being sworn into office for his second term as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
According to reports, he called the programs “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” In the order titled, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” Trump said that former president Joe Biden was “fostering discrimination across virtually all aspects of the federal government through the promotion of diversity initiatives.”
Due to this executive order, all federal employees working in the DEI programs were placed on administrative leave and must be out by Wednesday at 5 p.m. Other departments must also plan to permanently close their DEI offices, remove social media and related websites, and lay off their employees by January 31.
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,” Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary said. “This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept.”
This order, signed on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, has been heavily criticized by civil rights advocates such as the Rev. Al Sharpton. “Why do we have DEI?” Sharpton asked. We have DEI because you denied us diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI was a remedy to the racial institutional bigotry practiced in academia and these corporations.”
The signing of this order is a continuation of Trump’s previous efforts to get rid of the DEI policies in 2020, however, Joe Biden reversed the order during his first days in office.