Trump turns up the heat on DEI in federal contracting

President Donald Trump took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion policies in federal contractors, issuing an executive order focused specifically on the group.The president has issued more than 225 executive orders during his second term, more than a handful of which have been focused on ending DEI practices in as much of American society as possible. Most of them he signed within his first 100 days, and some, within his first two days in office.
On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of all DEI programs and offices within the federal government. On Jan. 21, he signed another aimed at ending DEI considerations in federal hiring and public and higher education and ordering all federal agencies to use the law to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies,” etc.
In April, he issued another order targeting disparate-impact liability, which applies when a policy disproportionately harms a protected group, even if it isn’t intentionally discriminatory. He also issued multiple executive orders against high-profile law firms the federal government has often contracted with to “prevent the transfer of taxpayer dollars to Federal contractors whose earnings subsidize, among other things, activities that are not aligned with American interests, including racial discrimination.”
However, this latest executive order goes further in directing all executive departments and agencies to not only sever ties with contractors who practice DEI but to ensure that all “contracts and contract-like instruments” with federal contractors, subcontractors, include promises not to engage in DEI.
The contractors must also promise to provide access to any “books, records, and accounts” that the government seeks to review to ensure their compliance with the order.
The Center Square inquired with the White House as to the specific inspiration for the latest order, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

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