Under President Donald Trump's administration, U.S. federal agencies have been working swiftly to implement his directives aimed at reshaping the federal bureaucracy. By Thursday, agencies
were encouraging employees to report any covert efforts to maintain diversity initiatives while preparing to shutter offices dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs as early as next week.
Trump has been outspoken about his opposition to the federal workforce's size and mission, particularly regarding DEI programs, which are designed to create opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other historically underrepresented groups.
Speaking via video at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trump announced that his orders to dismantle DEI programs would help restore the U.S. as a "merit-based country."
“These programs were pure nonsense, both in government and the private sector,” he declared.
While Trump and his supporters argue that DEI programs result in reverse discrimination against other groups, civil rights advocates contend these initiatives are crucial for addressing systemic inequities and structural racism.
On Wednesday, federal employees received a memo directing them to report colleagues who attempt to disguise DEI efforts using “coded language.” The memo warned that failure to provide such information could result in “adverse consequences.”
The directive carried the weight of top Trump appointees. For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a similar notice circulated at the State Department, while acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Todd Hunter issued comparable instructions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Officials responsible for DEI programs across various federal agencies were placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, with their offices slated for permanent closure by the end of the month.
These actions are part of Trump’s broader campaign to overhaul the federal bureaucracy, which he has previously referred to as the “deep state,” alleging it undermines his administration’s agenda.
In another move, Trump has frozen nearly all federal hiring and signed an executive order—dubbed Schedule F—on his first day in office. The order grants the administration the authority to dismiss tens of thousands of career civil servants, who have traditionally been protected from politically motivated dismissals, and replace them with loyalists. The National Treasury Employees Union, representing about 150,000 federal workers, has already filed a lawsuit challenging the order.
“This open hostility toward the federal workforce will lead to disastrous consequences,” warned Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to 140,000 federal workers.
Trump’s decision to dismantle DEI programs has drawn swift condemnation from Democratic leaders and civil rights organizations.
Additionally, Trump has moved to discourage private companies that contract with the federal government from using DEI programs. On Wednesday, he rescinded a landmark 1965 executive order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. That order required federal contractors to practice affirmative action and banned discriminatory hiring practices, representing a pivotal step forward during the civil rights movement.
The rollback of these protections comes as the federal government spends roughly $739 billion annually on contractors, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Democrats and civil rights advocates have denounced Trump’s actions, arguing that they undermine decades of progress in addressing racial and social inequalities. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.