On Tuesday, President Donald Trump intensified his crackdown on diversity programs, urging the private sector to support his initiative. He ordered aviation authorities to review diversity hires and directed employees of DEI-focused government offices to be placed on paid leave. This followed a series of executive orders issued on his first day in office aimed at ending DEI programs, which focus on promoting opportunities for underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Trump’s latest executive order encourages businesses to eliminate “illegal DEI discrimination” and directs government agencies to investigate private companies potentially violating these policies.
The order also revokes policies dating back to 1965, including those promoting equal employment opportunities and workforce diversity in federal contracting. It mandates that agencies identify corporations, nonprofits, and educational institutions for possible civil compliance investigations.
Details on how these investigations will be carried out remain unclear, but the order notes that military veteran employment preferences will remain in place.
Additionally, federal agencies are instructed to dismantle DEI programs by the end of the business day on Wednesday, with affected employees placed on paid leave.
Trump also ended a Biden-era initiative to promote diversity within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), halting DEI hiring programs and mandating a review of staff competence to ensure safety standards are met.
