President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, deeming them “radical and wasteful.” All federal employees in DEI roles are being placed on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.
A memo issued by the Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday set a deadline of 5 p.m. ET Wednesday for federal agencies to inform affected employees of their new status. The memo also directed agencies to submit a written plan by January 31 for dismissing these employees.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin.” Leavitt emphasized that this move is “another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept.”
On Monday, Trump signed 46 executive orders and presidential actions, including measures to end Biden-era border policies and pardon January 6 Capitol rioters. An additional executive order signed on Tuesday targeted diverse hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), arguing that such initiatives unfairly penalize “hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color.”