Trump has stepped up his campaign to dismantle government diversity programs, according to Reuters
By Daniel Trotta
(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up his attack on diversity programs by getting the private sector to join in, ordering aviation officials to review diversity hiring and telling employees of DEI government offices and programs to take pay breaks.
The moves come after Trump issued a series of executive orders on his first day in office that seek to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people and other traditionally underrepresented groups.
Civil rights activists argued that such programs were necessary to address long-standing injustices and structural racism.
In a new executive order issued Tuesday, Trump encouraged businesses to “end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences” and asked government agencies to identify private companies that could be investigated.
In the year Repeals executive policies until 1965 that included environmental protections, equal employment opportunities, and incentives for federal contractors to balance the workforce on the basis of race, gender, and religion.
“As part of this plan, each agency will conduct up to nine civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large nonprofit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, and state and local bar and medical associations that have donated more than $1 billion. Institutions of Higher Education,” the order said.
Full details on how the Trump administration will enforce “civilian compliance investigations” were not immediately available.
Tuesday’s order states that federal and private sector hiring options for veterans can continue.
Separately, the Trump administration has ordered U.S. federal government departments and agencies to dismantle all DEI programs and recommended that workers in such programs receive immediate paid leave.
At the end of business Wednesday, any government offices or departments focused on DEI must notify employees that their programs will be closed and employees will be furloughed, the Office of Personnel Management said in a memo.
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday ending the Biden administration’s initiative to promote diversity at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the FAA administrator said, ending DEI hiring programs, the White House said.
Trump has ordered a security review to replace failing workers.
“President Trump is immediately ending this illegal and dangerous program and requiring all FAA hiring to be based solely on ensuring the safety of airline passengers and overall quality of work,” the White House said in a briefing.
