January 20, 2025

Executive Order: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

Holland & Knight Eyes on Washington Blog
Trump's 2025 Executive Orders: Updates and Summaries

Date Issued: Jan. 20, 2025

Executive Summary

This executive order eliminates any and all "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" programs throughout the federal government. The termination includes "Chief Diversity Officers," "Equity Action Plans," "environmental justice" offices, equity-related grants/contracts, as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) performance requirements. The removal of these programs will be carried out by the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), with assistance from the attorney general and the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Each agency, department or commission head will complete these actions within 60 days (by March 21, 2025). This order seeks to increase public relations between the federal government and the American people by cutting programs deemed wasteful and discriminatory.

Policy Actions

  • Terminate DEI/DEIA mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities.
  • The director of OPM, assisted by the attorney general, will review and revise all federal employment practices, union contracts and training policies/programs.
  • Federal employee performance reviews shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance and hard work. Reviews will not under any circumstance consider DEI/DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates or requirements.
  • The director of OMB will have a list of:
    • all DEI positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budget and expenditures from Nov. 4, 2024, and assess if they have been relabeled in attempt to preserve their pre-Nov. 4, 2024, function
    • federal contractors who provided DEI training and material to agency or department employees
    • federal grantees who received funding for DEI/DEIA or "environmental justice" since Jan. 20, 2021
  • The deputy agency or department head will assess the prior administration's operational impact (number of people employed with the assistance of DEI programs) and costs of the DEI/DEIA and "environmental justice" programs and policies.
  • The assistant to the president for domestic policy will have monthly meetings with the director of OMB, director of OPM and each deputy agency/department head concerning:
    • reports on the economic and social costs of DEI/DEIA and "environmental justice" in all aspects
    • any barriers to measures to comply with this order
    • monitoring and tracking progress while identifying areas for presidential or legislative action to advance the policy of equal dignity and respect
  • If any aspect of this order is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.

Revoked Executive Action

  • Executive Order 13985 of Jan. 20, 2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government), which created federal government initiatives to promote equity and combat systemic barriers relating to equity in hiring, programs and policies

Trump's 2025 Executive Orders: Updates and Summaries

Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group is reviewing President Trump's 2025 Executive Orders and other actions. To read all Executive Order Updates and Summaries, visit our landing page.

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