The Memo: Trump goes full bore against DEI

President Trump is taking full aim at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, apparently making the calculation that the peak for such initiatives has passed and that they are viewed with growing skepticism by the public.

There is little doubt the Trump base is opposed to DEI, given his voters are customarily set against anything that has a whiff of cultural liberalism or “wokeness.”

But there is a bigger question about whether the extent of Trump’s push against such measures will draw any kind of pushback. 

Some polling shows broader support for DEI than might be anticipated for a topic that has become increasingly tugged into political warfare.

Trump reiterated his views on DEI measures during a speech, delivered virtually, to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

“My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense — and these are policies that were absolute nonsense — throughout the government and the private sector,” Trump said.

The actions have come thick and fast in the first few days of his second administration.

Trump issued a sweeping executive order earlier this week contending “illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity.”

Trump added such policies “deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system.”

In specific terms, Trump moved to terminate DEI programs within the federal government, place all federal employees working on such programs on administrative leave and encourage the private sector to also end DEI initiatives.

Some of the details have raised eyebrows.

For example, the new administration provided a template of a message it suggested could be sent by federal agency heads to their employees.

The template informed such employees that DEI programs were being shuttered because they “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayers’ dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”

It also asked agency employees to report any efforts “by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.”

Another requirement is for federal agencies to give added scrutiny to the private sector, with each agency under orders from the White House to “identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations” — as well as nonprofits, educational institutions or professional associations.

Critics contend this amounts to government overreach. They also say the “coded language” provision will foster an atmosphere of distrust among federal employees.

Moreover, Trump’s moves included the rescinding of one executive order dating all the way back to 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson was in the White House. The Johnson-era measure had required federal contractors to take affirmative action to end discrimination within their companies.

Trump’s actions elicited instant criticism from Democrats and liberal groups.

In a statement, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) asserted “MAGA Republicans have set their sights on cutting off access to economic opportunity for Black and minority communities in the federal government, on college campuses, and in corporate America.”

The CBC added Trump’s executive order was “nothing short of an attempt to take our country backward.”

Kyle Herrig, a senior adviser to the left-leaning Congressional Integrity Project, argued Trump’s anti-DEI actions amounted to “a targeted attack on our democracy, free speech and civil society.” Herrig also contended the reference to nonprofit organizations was intended to “intimidate” those groups and “weaponize” the government.

DEI programs have long been a target of Trump’s ire — and of Republican actions more generally. 

In February 2024, The Associated Press reported Republicans had proposed “about 50 bills in 20 states” that would restrict such initiatives. Some prominent members of the GOP, notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have made the battle against “wokeness” a political calling card.

Despite those attacks, however, it is far from clear the public at large share conservatives’ intense distaste for DEI.

Defenders of the programs argue they are important to help redress historical inequities especially around race and gender; that they rightfully broaden hiring and retention practices; and that they ensure a more welcoming workplace for all employees.

Some businesses have defended diversity efforts as being helpful to companies’ overall performance. A 2019 report from consulting firm McKinsey contended there was “ample evidence” that “more diverse companies do better.”

A Pew Research Center survey in October 2024 found 52 percent of surveyed American workers believed focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace was a good thing, against just 21 percent who felt it was a bad thing and 26 percent who said it was neither good nor bad.

A separate Pew survey from September showed pluralities believed DEI practices helped Black, Latino and Asian employees, with a much narrower plurality saying they also helped white women.

However, 36 percent of respondents said DEI “hurt” white men against just 14 percent who said white men were helped.

White men are among the demographic groups most supportive of Trump. According to a voter survey commissioned by The Associated Press and Fox News, Trump carried white men by 22 points over former Vice President Kamala Harris in November’s election. His advantage among white women was just 8 points, and he lost among Black and Latino voters of both genders.

There are clear signs, however, that some enthusiasm for DEI is fading. 

Major companies including Amazon, Meta, Ford, Harley-Davidson and John Deere have scaled back DEI initiatives, though Costco has received some attention recently for its board’s defense of such measures.

The Pew survey also found disquiet about DEI measures edging up. For example, the 21 percent share of American workers who viewed a focus on DEI as "a bad thing" marked an increase of 5 points in less than two years.

Trump will be hoping he can ride the wave of skepticism, even as his critics see his anti-DEI move as one more retrograde shift.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.