Within a day after taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders terminating “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs in the federal government. He directed federal departments and agencies to

terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions (including but not limited to ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ positions); all ‘equity action plans,’ ‘equity’ actions, initiatives, or programs, ‘equity-related’ grants or contracts; and all DEI performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.

Trump rescinded his predecessor’s DEI initiatives and went so far as to revoke Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order that laid the foundation for subsequent affirmative-action, diversity, and DEI initiatives in federal contracting and hiring. The president said when issuing these orders that he sought to restore merit and equality of opportunity as the foundations for hiring and promotion throughout the federal system, and that “woke” and “DEI” programs violate federal civil-rights laws.

He did not stop there. Federal employees administering these programs were ordered out of their offices by 5 p.m. on January 22 and placed on administrative leave; other federal employees were cautioned that they could lose their jobs if they attempted to continue these programs by disguise or by unlawful means. Federal websites connected to DEI initiatives soon went dark as the Office of Personnel Management ordered agency heads to remove all “outward facing media” connected to those programs. Federal contractors were told to terminate all DEI and affirmative-action programs. Corporations, universities, and charitable organizations were put on notice that they should be prepared to rescind those programs as well.