## Shift Away From DEI Initiatives Sweeps Across Government and Private Sector
Following a dramatic shift in policy, President Trump initiated a widespread dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government shortly after taking office.
Rapid Policy Changes
Within days of his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump signed executive orders aimed at rapidly reversing policies enacted by the previous administration. A primary focus was the elimination of all DEI programs within the federal structure.
- Gender Identity Directive: One order explicitly stated that only “male and female” genders would be recognized by the U.S. government.
- OPM Directives: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was instructed to notify agencies and departments to immediately cease DEI operations and place affected employees on paid leave. This triggered a swift removal of public-facing materials, including websites and social media accounts, and the withdrawal of pending directives related to equity plans.
- Contract Cancellations: Existing and planned contracts tied to DEI initiatives were canceled, reportedly saving the federal government an estimated $420 million—a figure attributed to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Targeting Hiring Practices & Education
Beyond broad program shutdowns, President Trump issued further directives focused on specific areas:
- Workplace and Higher Education: An executive order prohibited workplace and higher education discrimination based on race or sex under the guise of DEI.
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): A memo rescinded a Biden administration policy prioritizing DEI in FAA hiring, mandating a return to merit-based, non-discriminatory practices. The directive emphasized flight safety and efficiency as paramount concerns. As stated in the memo: “All so-called DEI initiatives… shall immediately be rescinded in favor of hiring, promoting, and otherwise treating employees on the basis of individual capability, competence, achievement, and dedication.”
- Education Funding: In February, the Department of Education warned state education departments that failure to remove DEI policies could result in a loss of federal funding. This followed an executive order directing agencies to identify and eliminate federal support for what were deemed “illegal and discriminatory” practices within K-12 schools.
Ripple Effect Across Sectors
The president’s actions spurred widespread changes beyond the federal government, with numerous private companies following suit.
- Corporate Shifts: Major corporations including Meta, McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford Motor Co., John Deere, Lowe’s, Toyota, IBM, Gannett, Constellation Brands Inc., UnitedHealth Group, MLB, Victoria’s Secret, Warner Bros. Discovery, Goldman Sachs, Paramount, Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, Pepsi, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, PBS, Google, Disney, GE, PayPal and Chipotle either scaled back or completely eliminated their DEI programs.
NIH Policy Reversal
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also rolled back a recent policy shift, rescinding its “Scientific Integrity Policy” implemented near the end of the Biden administration.
“The Biden administration weaponized NIH’s scientific integrity policy to inject harmful DEI and gender ideology into research,” stated Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department. “Rescinding this (scientific integrity) policy will allow NIH to restore science to its golden standard and protect the integrity of science.”
The previous policy had emphasized DEI as an integral component of the scientific process and directed agency leaders to support scientists identifying as asexual or intersex.
Contract Cancellations & LinkedIn
Multiple federal agencies have terminated contracts with LinkedIn, citing the platform’s embrace of DEI policies in response to presidential directives. The Departments of Treasury, Interior, and Veterans Affairs are among those that severed ties with the business social network.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior stated, “Every American taxpayer should be angry that the Biden administration wasted so much money on contracts like these.”
LinkedIn responded by stating, “Like every business, the organizations that use our products change, often driven by shifts in their budgets and priorities. We’re keeping our focus on helping our customers achieve the objectives they’ve set.”
