Equal Employment Opportunity Act: Learn how Trump’s revocation of DEI policies aims to restore merit-based opportunities and uphold the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, promoting fairness and equality.Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity By the power granted to me as President by the U.S. Constitution and its laws, I hereby order:
Section 1. Purpose
For decades, U.S. civil rights laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1965, have protected Americans from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. These protections are fundamental to ensuring equal opportunity for all. As President, it is my responsibility to enforce these laws for the benefit of every citizen.
However, more than 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, many of America’s most influential sectors — from the federal government to corporate giants, financial institutions, medical industries, law enforcement, and even our educational system — have adopted practices under “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) that, in many cases, violate these civil rights laws.
While DEI policies are meant to foster inclusion, some have evolved into systems that prioritize race and sex over merit. This is not only harmful to the principles of individual achievement and fairness but also risks discrediting traditional American values of hard work and excellence. This approach undermines the opportunities that should be open to everyone, no matter their background.
These discriminatory policies are not without consequences. When merit, aptitude, and hard work take a backseat to identity-based preferences, we see dangerous outcomes, particularly in sectors critical to public safety like law enforcement, healthcare, and aviation. For instance, we’ve all heard about incidents where individuals’ skills and qualifications were secondary to their race or gender — and the results have often been disastrous. The American people deserve better. We need systems where the best candidate, regardless of identity, rises to the top.
Section 2. Policy
The U.S. must protect the civil rights of all its citizens and promote values like individual initiative, excellence, and hard work. Therefore, I order all executive departments and agencies to immediately terminate any discriminatory practices, including policies or programs that are in violation of these rights. All agencies must also take a stand against illegal DEI practices in the private sector.
Section 3. Ending Illegal Discrimination in the Federal Government
(a) The following executive actions are revoked:
- Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice in Minority Populations, 1994)
- Executive Order 13583 (Government-wide Initiative on Diversity, 2011)
- Executive Order 13672 (Amendments to Equal Employment Opportunity Orders, 2014)
- Presidential Memorandum on Diversity in the National Security Workforce, 2016
(b) The federal contracting process will be streamlined to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, ensuring full compliance with civil rights laws, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1965.
- Executive Order 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity, 1965) is revoked, allowing for 90 days to adapt.
- The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will cease promoting DEI and will no longer require federal contractors to take “affirmative action.”
(c) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will, with assistance from the Attorney General, review and revise government-wide processes to remove any references to DEI and improve compliance with civil rights laws, including the 1965 Equal Employment Opportunity Act.
Section 4. Encouraging the Private Sector to End Illegal DEI Discrimination
We must also encourage the private sector to end illegal DEI practices. The heads of all agencies will work together to foster an environment of individual initiative, excellence, and merit-based achievement.
In addition, the Attorney General, working with relevant agencies, will create a report that identifies key sectors where DEI practices are harmful, assesses the most discriminatory DEI programs, and proposes strategies to combat these practices. This includes potential investigations into large corporations and institutions that are engaged in illegal DEI discrimination.
Section 5. Other Actions
Within 120 days, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education will issue guidance to state and local educational agencies, as well as institutions of higher education, to ensure compliance with the landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023).
Section 6. Severability
If any part of this order is found to be invalid, the remaining sections will still apply.
Section 7. Scope
(a) This order does not apply to veterans’ preferences or exceptions provided under the Randolph-Sheppard Act.
(b) This order respects First Amendment rights, ensuring freedom of speech and advocacy in the educational and contracting sectors.
(c) Teaching professionals at federally funded institutions are free to engage in academic discussions, as long as they do not promote discriminatory practices.
Section 8. General Provisions
(a) This order does not affect the legal authority of any executive department or agency.
(b) It will be implemented in accordance with applicable law and funding availability.
(c) This order does not create enforceable rights by any party against the United States or its officers.
How These Tools Can Increase Productivity and Efficiency
By focusing on merit-based systems and removing illegal DEI preferences, we can enhance productivity across all sectors. When the government and private sectors follow equal employment opportunity laws and promote individuals based on their skills, the results speak for themselves.
For example, in the federal workforce, we currently have approximately 56,000 DEI employees. By streamlining practices and ending illegal DEI discrimination, we can focus on hiring individuals who are the best fit for the job. This creates a more efficient, productive, and fair workforce.
In the medical field, focusing on qualifications over DEI mandates will not only improve the quality of healthcare but will also increase the productivity of hospitals and medical centers, where even a small increase in efficiency can save lives. Similarly, in law enforcement, prioritizing merit ensures that our officers are highly skilled, which boosts public trust and safety.
According to data from Axios, DEI programs in federal agencies have often led to inefficiencies and frustration among employees, especially when they feel that qualifications and merit are being sidelined. By reinstating a focus on the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, the government can ensure that its workforce is the most effective and efficient it can be.
Final Thoughts
At the heart of this initiative is a simple yet powerful principle: individual merit, hard work, and excellence should be the deciding factors in any opportunity. By moving away from discriminatory practices under the guise of DEI and returning to merit-based systems, we open up the doors for all Americans to achieve success. This is a win for individuals, families, and society at large. Now, it’s time to rebuild our institutions on the foundation of fairness and opportunity for all. Let’s focus on what truly matters: ensuring that everyone has a fair shot at realizing the American Dream.