Trump’s anti-DEI orders (Photo available under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 – No changes made)
In January, Trump’s anti-DEI orders directed all federal agencies to stop Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, (DEI), initiatives. This included cutting chief diversity officers and putting DEI employees on paid leave. Major companies, such as PBS and Victoria’s Secret, have started rolling back their DEI policies. Following the Trump Administration’s anti-DEI movement.
Trump withdrew a directive signed by President Lyndon Johnson that required private federal contractors to maintain anti-discrimination programs. On February 13, 2025, Pepsi and Coca-Cola started to prepare for Trump’s executive order to ban DEI programs, because both companies received government contracts.
The FBI closed their DEI office in December of 2024, due to President Donald Trump’s accusation of corruption in a Truth Social post. The office became a common area for Republicans to attack.
Protecting DEI Policies from Anti-DEI Orders
On April 15, 2025, a federal judge blocked the Department of Labor from requiring government contractors and grant recipients to certify that they do not use DEI programs or follow anti-discrimination laws.
The DEI teams in companies have been renamed as, “Inclusion and Belonging,” “Talent and Opportunity” or “Talent Strategy.” This allows companies to switch the team’s focus from employment behavior and inclusion to business outcomes. Companies such as Paramount, Bank of America and Target stopped using diversity targets, such as race or gender, in their hiring.
Before, State Street required boards to be at least 30% female with one racial minority director. However, these requirements have been dropped in their new proxy voting guidance.
We annually review our proxy voting and engagement policy to ensure alignment with global protocols and local laws and regulations, guided by our core principles of effective board oversight, disclosure, and shareholder protection and a singular focus on value creation,” a State Street spokesperson said in an ESG Drive article
Public Broadcasting Service, (PBS) a company that Trump has tried to defund, shut down its DEI office and its employees left the company. In a memo, their staff were told to make sure they comply with Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders. Paramount has also been citing the executive orders and quit using DEI language.
Victoria’s Secret is reevaluating their goals for diversity. They are stopping their idea to promote a certain percentage of African-American workers and work with diverse suppliers. A couple years prior, Victoria’s Secret made investments in DEI. Due to reports of workplace harassment and boycotts over an alleged lack of inclusion of body types in their models.
