President Trump wasted no time during his first week in office to go after an issue he has been denouncing for years: Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, also known as DEI.
On Monday, shortly after he was sworn in for his second term as president, Trump signed an executive order that eliminated all federal DEI programs, calling them “radical” and “wasteful.” The directive included the termination of all federal positions related to DEI and environmental justice, as well as DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees. It also required that all federal contractors who provided DEI training to government agencies be reported to the Office of Management and Budget for review.
The following day, he issued an additional presidential action that directed government agencies to “combat illegal private sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” It demands that the Attorney General, in collaboration with the heads of government agencies, submit a report with recommendations to “deter DEI programs or principles (whether specifically denominated ‘DEI’ or otherwise) that constitute illegal discrimination or preferences.”
The idea that Trump would go after DEI was not necessarily surprising for a president who openly discussed plans to do away with the practice while he was campaigning. But the scope of his orders is vast, and he went as far as to revoke Lyndon B. Johnson’s Executive Order 11246, which was written to prevent discrimination on the part of federal contractors.
Fortune reached out to DEI advocates to get their thoughts on a whirlwind week, and the president’s attempts to dismantle diversity and inclusion as we know it. Here’s what they said.
Not surprised
Candidate Trump made no secret on the campaign trail and during his first term in office that he was against DEI. During his first administration, Trump signed an executive order banning federal agency contractors and recipients of federal funding from conducting anti-bias training, an order which was then swiftly rescinded by Joe Biden when he took office in 2021.
That prompted DEI leaders to be prepared to see immediate action against diversity and inclusion practices when Trump took office for the second time.
“We don’t agree with them, but we’re not surprised by them,” says Sheryl Daija, the founder and CEO of BRIDGE, a trade group for marketing professionals that highlights DEI as a business practice for growth.
That feeling was echoed by Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “This doesn’t come as a surprise,” she tells Fortune. “This administration and his campaign has been attacking inclusivity and diversity…it’s been one of their main ways of trying to drum up fear.”
Janai Nelson, the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, says she and her organization were “absolutely anticipating this,” but adds that it doesn’t make the moment any less difficult. “None of this is a surprise. That doesn’t make it any less dismaying and alarming,” she says.
Thinking long term
Trump’s executive actions this week created immediate chaos within the federal government.
For example, according to a memo sent out by the U.S. Office of Personnel and Management on Tuesday, federal workers within DEIA offices were ordered to be placed on leave no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
But DEI advocates are taking a longer view. “This is a marathon, not a sprint.” says Ellis.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, adds that corporate leaders need to take a longer view of Trump’s DEI policies as well. “It’s one shiny object after another that is getting produced into this discourse,” she tells Fortune. “And I think the job of good corporate leaders is to understand that [their] companies in some ways right now are standing in the gap. They have an obligation to their employees. They have an obligation to their stakeholders to continue to be successful. And I would suggest they also have an obligation to what kind of values [they] want to espouse.”
Getting ready for lawsuits
Trump sent out a flurry of executive orders on his first day in office, including the order about DEI. But many will be immediately met with litigation from outside groups.
The ACLU, for instance, has already said they plan to oppose Trump’s DEI policies during his second term. A spokesperson for the ACLU told the Washington Post this week that the organization is “analyzing Trump’s EOs right now, their potential impact, and how we can protect people’s fundamental rights in the face of these attacks.”
“I mean, the truth of the matter is that it’s going to be met with so many lawsuits because it’s such an infringement,” says Ellis about Trump’s DEI actions. “When it gets into the corporate space and he’s trying to dictate what can and can’t corporates do, I think, that’s going to be met with a lot of lawsuits and a lot of pushback,” she says.
A key moment for corporate America
DEI advocates that Fortune spoke with say that Trump’s actions have created a key moment for corporate America and all eyes are on how they will respond.
“I would understand a company saying, ‘Look, we don’t want to deviate from U.S. law,’ for sure. But I think it’s important to understand that’s not what this is,” says Berry. “These are attempts to wipe decades of progress away with these sweeping executive orders.”
Daija recognizes how overwhelming the past few days have been, but emphasizes how important it is for companies to stay cool headed. “It’s really incumbent upon CEOs to take a beat…let’s not get caught up in the craziness that’s kind of swirling. But just be pragmatic and understand again: where is the opportunity first? Then let’s figure out how we’re going to mitigate the risk.”
Nelson believes that companies “must push back now, immediately, while there are still guardrails in place. While there’s still enough clarity of fact and evidence and truth to have the data and research to show how misguided this effort is.”
