The White House has released a fact sheet asserting that President Donald J. Trump has ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government, education, and the private sector through a series of executive orders and other actions over the past 21 months, replacing what it called radical and wasteful preferencing with merit and equal treatment.
According to the White House, President Trump on his first day in office rescinded orders from the previous administration that it said injected DEI into institutions, and signed an executive order ending DEI programs and preferencing within the federal government. The fact sheet, published October 28, 2026, lists additional measures taken in subsequent months.
In January 2025, the White House says, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum terminating a Biden administration Federal Aviation Administration hiring policy that prioritized DEI over safety and efficiency, and an executive order protecting civil rights and ending DEI preferencing in federal contracting while directing agencies to combat private-sector discrimination. Another order eliminated race- and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces.
Subsequent actions included removing DEI from the Foreign Service (February 2025), barring Department of Education funds from advancing DEI or gender ideology (March 2025), overhauling the Smithsonian Institution (March 2025), and reforming higher-education accreditation to eliminate DEI requirements (April 2025).
In education, the White House claims it secured settlements with Columbia University ($221 million), Brown University ($50 million), Cornell University ($60 million), and Northwestern University ($75 million) over DEI and antisemitism concerns. It says the University of California stopped requiring diversity statements in hiring, MIT shuttered its DEI office, and investigations were launched into DEI initiatives at Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine. Funding was paused at Princeton ($210 million) and reviewed at Harvard ($9 billion).
The fact sheet also cites actions in the private sector, including ending racial discrimination in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program and a Department of Justice investigation finding Yale Medical School discriminated against Asian and white applicants on the basis of race. It says the Treasury moved to end tax-exempt status for private schools engaging in racial discrimination.
The White House portrays the actions as fulfilling President Trump's promise to end DEI, describing the programs as illegal, discriminatory, and unmeritocratic.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The list represents the most expansive federal effort to roll back diversity initiatives since the 1960s, affecting hiring, contracting, education policy, and corporate compliance.
- Publicly funded universities and private companies that receive federal contracts are now under pressure to dismantle DEI programs or risk funding cuts, creating widespread compliance uncertainty.
- The actions could shift how race, gender, and equity are addressed in American institutions for years, with potential legal challenges from civil-rights groups.
Background
The Trump administration has made opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion a central theme of its domestic policy, arguing that such programs violate civil-rights laws and undermine merit. This fact sheet consolidates actions taken since President Trump returned to office in January 2025, covering executive orders, agency investigations, funding freezes, and settlements with major universities. It follows earlier efforts during his first term to restrict DEI training in the federal government.
What to Watch
- Legal challenges to the executive orders from universities, civil-rights organizations, and private companies; courts have already blocked some similar actions in the past.
- Further university investigations and funding actions by the Department of Justice and Department of Education, particularly at institutions with large federal grants.
- Reactions from the private sector, including whether major corporations change their DEI policies in response to federal pressure or continue them via state-level protections.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe White House says Trump has ended DEI across government, education and the private sector.News – The White House: “In 21 months back in office, President Donald J. Trump has removed wasteful and unmeritocratic DEI programs from government, education, and the private sector. President Trump promised it and delivered – DEI is dead.”
- SupportedThe fact sheet says merit has replaced diversity programs over 21 months.News – The White House: “In 21 months back in office, President Donald J. Trump has removed wasteful and unmeritocratic DEI programs from government, education, and the private sector.”
- SupportedThe White House fact sheet was published on October 28, 2026.News – The White House: “The White House October 28, 2026”
- SupportedOn his first day in office, Trump rescinded orders from the previous administration that the White House said had injected DEI into institutions.News – The White House: “On day one, President Trump rescinded Orders from the previous administration that injected DEI into our institutions”
- SupportedOn his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order ending DEI programs and preferencing in the federal government.News – The White House: “and signed an Executive Order ending radical and wasteful DEI programs and preferencing in the Federal government.”
- SupportedIn January 2025, Trump signed a memorandum terminating an FAA hiring policy that the White House said prioritized DEI over safety and efficiency.News – The White House: “In January 2025, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum terminating a Biden Administration Federal Aviation Administration hiring policy that prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion over safety and efficiency.”
- SupportedIn January 2025, Trump signed an order ending DEI preferencing in federal contracting and directing agencies to combat private-sector discrimination.News – The White House: “In January 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order protecting the civil rights of all Americans and expanding individual opportunity by terminating radical DEI preferencing in federal contracting and directing federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination.”
- SupportedAn order eliminated race- and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces.News – The White House: “In January 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating race- and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces to restore merit and lethality to America’s fighting force.”
- Partly supportedThe Columbia, Brown, Cornell and Northwestern settlements addressed DEI and antisemitism concerns.News – The White House: “In July 2025, President Trump secured a historic $221 million settlement with Columbia University to restore accountability and fairness in higher education after the university’s DEI policies and practices raised urgent concerns about equal opportunity and potential noncompliance with Federal law.”
- SupportedThe Columbia University settlement was $221 million.News – The White House: “In July 2025, President Trump secured a historic $221 million settlement with Columbia University”
- SupportedThe administration paused $210 million in federal funding to Princeton amid an investigation into DEI and antisemitism on campus.News – The White House: “The Trump Administration paused $210 million in federal funding to Princeton amid an investigation into DEI and antisemitism on Princeton’s campus.”
- SupportedThe administration reviewed $9 billion in federal funding for Harvard over antisemitism and DEI concerns.News – The White House: “The Trump Administration launched a review of $9 billion in federal funding for Harvard University over antisemitism and DEI concerns.”