Trump bans DEI and affirmative action in federal employment and contracting. 

• Two days after his inauguration, Trump banned “radical DEI” programs in all hiring, promotions and performance reviews of federal government employees and employees of any federal contractors. 

• He revoked an Executive Order mandating affirmative action, barred federal contractors from “balancing their workforce based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual preference, or religion” and requires “simple and unmistakable affirmation that contractors will not engage in illegal discrimination, including illegal DEI.”

• He directed all federal departments and agencies to” take strong action to end private sector DEI discrimination, including civil compliance investigations.”

Trump’s Defense Secretary Calls DEI “the dumbest phrase in military history” and fires military leaders who are women and of color. 

• Trump’s Defence Secretary, Pete Hegsworth, his Defense Secretary said, “I think the single dumbest phrase in  military history is ‘diversity is our strength.’’  Trump has fired numerous military leaders who are women and people of color, including the Black Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and woman admiral who headed the Navy.   

• Trump ended DEI recruitment at the CIA even as the Agency says that a diverse staff is essential to learning what is going on in other countries. 

Trump's aggressive legal and policy assault ignites a major legal push

• Trump targeted individuals like Mahri Stainnak, Sherrell Pyatt, and Jessica Swan, who were ruthlessly dismissed or placed on administrative leave without due process. These employees, now fighting legal battles, argue that their terminations were politically motivated and a direct result of their involvement in DEIA programs.

• Trump's inflammatory rhetoric, calling DEIA a “pernicious identity-based spoils system,” is not only inciting discrimination but also risking severe civil rights violations and the destruction of critical public service expertise.

Trump triggers a full-blown crisis within the federal government.

• Trump’s targeting of employees involved in DEIA initiatives is harming vulnerable populations like English learners and disaster victims.

• Trump’s actions are damaging the very foundation of a merit-based government workforce, risking the loss of seasoned, nonpartisan civil servants.

Trump’s vague and unclear definition of DEI activities is plunging schools into chaos

• Trump threatens to cut federal funding that supports basic needs, including food, clothing, and other critical services for homeless students, unless states certify they are not using federal funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. A federal judge put Trump’s order for school systems to end DEI programs on hold, finding that the policy threatened free speech. 

• Some states, like Indiana are complying with the DEI ban, while others, like California are resisting. 

• Trump wreaks havoc on educators and advocates, particularly in New York City, where millions rely on federal funds to support high-poverty schools and students with disabilities.

Trump attacks DEI in 52 universities in 42 states

• Trump’s Education Department launched investigations into 52 universities in 41 states, accusing the schools of using "racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities." Those activities include admissions and scholarships. 

• Many colleges and universities are scrambling to comply, while others are waiting to see if legal challenges to the order prevail. 

Trump tells schools: No federal funds if you’re using DEI

• Trump's mandate requiring states and school districts to certify the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs is an attempt to intimidate and stifle lawful DEI efforts.

Companies respond to Trump assault on ‘equity’

• Trump’s relentless campaign to undermine DEI efforts pressures corporations to retreat from vital programs that aim to address systemic discrimination and inequality.

• Trump's ongoing assault on DEI is forcing major companies, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, to abandon diversity targets and rename their programs.

• Trump coerced over 200 major U.S. companies into removing DEI language from their reports, fueling a dangerous trend that serves his bigoted agenda.

Trump Kills “DEI” Program Stopping Human Waste From Flooding Homes

• Trump left Black families in Lowndes County to suffer with raw sewage backing into their homes. “We have to be extra sanitary because people getting sick can be a problem,” said resident Annye Burke, as more than 300 families continue living with wastewater flooding their yards and bathtubs. Trump’s racist “anti-woke” rhetoric falsely labeled basic sanitation as “illegal DEI,” while his DOJ dismantled civil rights protections.

Trump restricted the use of DEI-related language in federal agencies and communications.

• Trump directed federal agencies to remove or modify DEI-related language from websites, documents, and materials, impacting how agencies communicate about issues like racial equity and transgender identity.

• Trump suppresses open discussions about inequality and systemic injustice, stifling efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

Trump makes National Park Service whitewash Underground Railroad

• Trump’s National Park Service webpage on the Underground Railroad had  a large photograph of its most famous “conductor,” Harriet Tubman. In its place are images of Postal Service stamps that highlight “Black/White cooperation” in the secret network and that feature Tubman among abolitionists of both races. And the introductory sentence is gone, too,  replaced by a line that makes no mention of slavery and that describes the Underground Railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement.” The effort “bridged the divides of race,” the page now says. But then Tubman’s picture and story were restored, after public outcray. 

Trump destabilizes international support for DEI

• Trump directed Portuguese companies with U.S. government contracts to self-certify compliance with the DEI ban or face the risk of non-payment.
  

• Trump sparked international unease, with similar letters sent to contractors in countries like France, Germany, and Belgium, fueling concerns over U.S. overreach in corporate policies.

• Trump is forcing countries to compromise their values, weakening global support for DEI initiatives and undermining democratic principles in Europe. He is forcing multinational companies to choose between complying with his anti-DEI directive and risking their ability to do business with the U.S., leaving them exposed to severe financial and reputational consequences.  But many countries and companies internationally are refusing to comply.