Trump to sign orders ending diversity programs

President-elect Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government. 

The order would axe funding for so-called DEI initiatives across all agencies in order to “end DEI inside the federal government,” according to incoming Trump administration officials. 

President-elect Trump will direct the Office of Management and Budget to end all related mandates, policies and programs across agencies, including all initiatives that aim to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within departments. 

His aim is to restore what the administration considers to be a merit-based hiring system, according to officials.  

President-elect Trump’s effort to eradicate all traces of DEI within the government will be an ongoing effort. 

Trump officials and members of the Department of Justice will meet with different agencies monthly to evaluate how ongoing DEI programs are allegedly discriminating against Americans. The groups will “figure out ways to end those,” Trump officials said. 

This executive order will also include a review of spaces that have been renamed under DEI initiatives. 

It’s unclear how the order will affect the private sector. A Trump administration official advised businesses to “wait and see” how further guidance will pertain to them.

And end to “long drop-down menus” related to sex

Incoming White House officials doubled down on President-elect Trump’s distaste for inclusion efforts and gender ideology by proclaiming that there are only two sexes that the federal government will recognize: male and female. 

“So what we’re doing today is defining that it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These are sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. And the definitions of these sex mean an individual’s immutable biological classification is either male or female. And woman means biological female; man, biological male,” an incoming Trump official said regarding a distinct executive order. “You are no longer going to have robust and long drop-down menus when asking about sex.” 

Among other things, the order will ensure that federal funds will not be used to promote gender ideology.

A number of major U.S. employers including Meta, McDonald’s and Walmart have already wound down their diversity programs following a 2023 Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action in college admissions, and under pressure from conservative political activists.