The Democrats may have lost because of a bad economy and bad candidate, but they compounded their troubles with unpopular stances on key social issues. One of the most prominent was “DEI”, compulsory programmes for hiring, admission, and training in many universities and corporations. The acronym stands for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”. Its opponents say it really means: “Didn’t Earn It”.

DEI is an ambitious scheme for Leftist changes in politics, economics, and social life. The public tolerated it for years but has finally had enough. So have the courts, which now consider it illegal discrimination. The result is that these programmes are being rolled back or even eliminated at major corporations and universities.

The most consequential of those rulings came in 2023 when the Supreme Court struck down racial preferences in admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. That decision referred only to universities, but the implications are rippling through all American institutions, public and private. They can see similar decisions coming down the pike, directly affecting them.

The most recent changes have come at Walmart, which has rolled back many of its DEI policies, and the University of Michigan, which has now dropped “diversity” hiring rules. The changes at Walmart appear to be a response to their customers, those at Michigan to the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling.