Trump Administration’s Sweeping Rollback of DEI Initiatives in Federal Government
A comprehensive review of the Trump administration’s initial actions to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government reveals a significant restructuring and redirection of resources. The analysis, released by the White House, highlights substantial staff reductions, grant eliminations, and policy changes aimed at curtailing DEI’s influence within federal agencies.
Significant Personnel Reductions and Cost Savings
The report indicates that nearly 750 DEI employees were either placed on leave or terminated during the period, resulting in an estimated cost savings of over $2 billion. Key agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor experienced the most significant personnel reductions, collectively accounting for 256 employee departures and over $1.3 billion in savings.
According to White House principal deputy communications director Alex Pfeiffer, President Trump’s directive to eliminate "radical and racist DEI propaganda" in government is being rapidly implemented. Pfeiffer stated that the administration is bringing "common sense" back to government operations.
Grant Eliminations and Policy Shifts
Beyond staff cuts, the analysis emphasizes the elimination of numerous grants and policy adjustments tied to DEI principles. These included race-based grant programs, quota systems, and promotion commitments across various agencies. Multimillion-dollar grants supporting DEI training and DEI-focused activist organizations were also targeted for elimination.
Specific examples of grant eliminations include the State Department’s cancellation of a $5 million grant aimed at strengthening organizations focused on intersex and trans human rights. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) reportedly saved $1.7 million by discontinuing four years of DEI staff training sessions addressing topics like "microaggressions" and "identifying and preventing racism in your marketing." The White House analysis also cited instances where the USDA spent money on staff training to "cultivate an Eye for Inequity" and discovered "DEI Bingo" cards left over from the Biden administration, featuring prompts related to LGBTQIA+ terminology and pronoun usage. Additionally, the USDA reportedly allocated funds to race-based grants, such as initiatives for "LATINX Growers" and "Black Womens Regenerative Farming," and spent $600,000 on research related to menstruation in biological males and $361,000 to support queer and trans farmers.
Department of Education Reforms
The Department of Education also underwent significant changes, with the Trump administration removing materials related to race-centric priorities. One example cited was a whiteboard featuring bullet points such as "Black male resource doc," "Tighten up Black Ed Roundtable," and "Black male political appointees." Grants promoting racial hiring quotas and teacher training sessions on topics like resisting "settler patriarchy" were also discontinued.
The administration’s analysis further alleges that the Biden-Harris administration’s Office of Civil Rights within the Education Department left almost 100 antisemitic incidents unresolved. It also claims that staffers were instructed to "sit on" a civil rights complaint against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and neglected Freedom of Information Act requests related to DEI efforts.
Department of Labor Overhaul
The Department of Labor, under President Biden, reportedly faced as many as 4,000 outstanding Freedom of Information Act requests concerning its DEI initiatives, which included DEI-based hiring practices and mandatory training programs. The Trump administration subsequently implemented changes to curtail these programs.
Health and Human Services Department Adjustments
The Health and Human Services Department also experienced substantial cuts to DEI programs, with over $350 million in DEI projects at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) being eliminated. These projects included grants for studying "multilevel and multidimensional structural racism" and "gender-affirming hormone therapy in mice."
Proactive Measures and Policy Reversals
The Trump administration actively reversed DEI-related policies and practices across multiple agencies. The Department of Transportation (DOT) discontinued DEI training courses and disabled an internal email feature that allowed users to list their pronouns. Similar pronoun policies were reversed at other agencies. The Department of Energy removed DEI criteria from over 2,900 supervisory performance standards, and the Department of Interior terminated its "DEIA Council," which aimed to embed DEI principles into all agency operations.
Executive Order and Rationale
President Trump’s actions against DEI programs were initiated with an executive order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing." In the order, President Trump accused the Biden administration of imposing "illegal and immoral" DEI programs on the American people and stated that this was a concerted effort stemming from President Biden’s first day in office.
The White House believes these reforms are essential to restoring fairness and equal opportunity in government. By eliminating DEI programs, the administration aims to ensure that decisions are based on merit and qualifications rather than race, gender, or other protected characteristics.
