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President Donald Trump intensified his campaign against diversity initiatives on Tuesday, extending his efforts to the private sector while directing aviation authorities to evaluate diversity hiring practices and notifying DEI program employees of impending paid leave arrangements.
BREAKING: President Trump has signed an executive order rescinding Lyndon Johnson's EO 11246, which established affirmative action, and banning all federal contractors and publicly-funded universities from practicing race-based discrimination, including DEI.
A massive shift.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 22, 2025
This expansion follows Trump’s day-one executive orders that terminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which were designed to boost workplace representation of minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other historically marginalized groups.
Those defending civil rights maintain these programs play a vital role in addressing systemic discrimination and historical inequalities.
Tuesday’s executive order called on companies to “end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences” while directing federal agencies to identify corporations potentially requiring investigation.
The order dismantles executive policies spanning back to 1965, eliminating measures related to environmental protection, equal employment opportunity, and guidelines encouraging federal contractors to maintain diverse workforces across gender, racial, and religious lines.
“As a part of this plan, each agency shall identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large nonprofit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, state and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments over $1 billion,” the order said.
The administration has yet to provide complete information regarding the implementation of these “civil compliance investigations.”
The latest order maintains employment preferences for military veterans in both federal and private sector contexts.
In a parallel move, the administration directed federal departments to eliminate their DEI programs, with affected employees being placed on immediate paid leave.
According to an Office of Personnel Management memo, by Wednesday’s close of business, employees in government offices focused solely on DEI must be informed of their program’s termination and subsequent paid leave status.
Additionally, Trump signed a memorandum Tuesday ending Biden-era diversity initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), demanding an immediate halt to DEI hiring practices.
The directive requires the FAA to conduct competency assessments, with provisions to replace employees who fail to meet performance standards.
“President Trump is immediately terminating this illegal and dangerous program and requiring that all FAA hiring be based solely on ensuring the safety of airline passengers and overall job excellence,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
