Trump rolls back DEI programs for federal workers
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President Trump signed an executive order Monday dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government.
Why it matters: The U.S. government is the largest employer in the country, with 3 million workers — nearly twice as many as private sector job leader Walmart, which also recently rolled back its DEI policies.
- Federal policies set the tone at the top for workplaces around the country.
The big picture: The president and his allies, particularly White House adviser Stephen Miller, have been outspoken critics of DEI — helping drive the wider backlash in the private sector.
- Though the executive order is limited to the federal government, a Trump official reportedly said more actions on DEI are coming soon that would impact private business.
Zoom in: The order calls for the "termination" of all DEI programs in the federal government, including in employment procedures, union contracts or training policies.
- All DEI positions should also be terminated, the order says, within 60 days — including all federal chief diversity officers.
Catch up quick: The Trump order rolls back Biden actions that put many diversity initiatives in place.
- Through Biden's orders, the administration had prioritized collecting workforce demographic data, recruiting folks from underserved communities, evaluating hiring practices through a diversity lens and addressing pay inequities.
- One order, put in place on Jan. 20, 2021, broadened sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity — but had faced pushback from conservatives hostile to protections for transgender people.
What they're saying: "The injection of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy," Trump said in a different executive order outlining a raft of revocations of Biden-era policies.
- The order, signed in front of an arena full of supporters, follows a promise he made during his inaugural address earlier Monday.
- "I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life," Trump said. "We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based."
Reality check: The DEI policy attack appears to be much ado about something Americans aren't very passionate about.
- A majority across nearly all demographic groups said DEI initiatives have made no impact on their personal careers, per a recent Axios Vibes survey by the Harris poll.
- Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of 3,200 global CEOs and business leaders said initiatives tied to social issues — such as diversity and inclusion — have had a positive impact on their company's economic performance, per the AlixPartners Disruption Index.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with further background on the revoked orders.
