Walmart rolled back its DEI policies on Nov. 25 following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Photo by Walmart Corporate.
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rescinding several of the previous administration’s actions regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the federal government.
In a press release by the White House, the president said the Biden “administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government.”
Executive Order 14035, titled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce” is among the many executive orders rescinded by President Trump.
The Trump administration’s push against DEI policies in the federal government has influenced companies in the private sector to follow suit. Resume.org notes that 1 in 8 companies have made plans to either eliminate or reduce DEI budgets.
According to an employee memo obtained by Axios, Meta terminated most of its DEI-related policies on Jan. 10. The article notes the adjustment described in the memo “follows a host of public moves by tech companies and executives to align with the politics and cultural views of President-elect Trump and the MAGA movement.”
However, other companies have stood their ground. On Jan. 23, a motion to eliminate DEI policies at Costco was rejected by 98% of shareholders during the company’s annual meeting, a stark contrast to companies such as Walmart or McDonald’s, who have largely aligned with the Trump administration’s push against DEI policies.
CBS also reports that Apple’s board of directors will push shareholders to vote against a proposal to eliminate the tech company’s existing DEI policies at its upcoming meeting later this month.
The Trump administration’s push against DEI policies comes as workers in the United States have adopted an increasingly negative stance against these policies, according to a report released last November by Pew Research.
The report notes that the percentage of workers who have a positive view on DEI policies has dropped from 56% in 2023 to 52% in 2024. Pew also reports that the percentage of workers who view DEI negatively has risen from 16% to 21% in the same time period.
According to Pew, members of both political parties are now “more likely than in 2023 to say their company pays too much attention to increasing DEI.”
Their report states that 29% of Republican voters say this today, compared to 23% in 2023. Likewise, 10% of Democratic voters are likely to say this, up from 6% in 2023.
Pushback against DEI policies is not limited to the private sector. The University of Kentucky disbanded its Office for Institutional Diversity last August.
“[L]egislators in Kentucky considered legislation that would curtail or prohibit efforts around DEI,” said University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto in a press release. “Kentucky legislators have made clear to me in our conversations that they are exploring these issues again as they prepare for the 2025 legislative session.”
Senate Bill 1, a legislative bill introduced in the Ohio Senate, pushes for universities in the state to prohibit certain DEI policies, including “[a]ny orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The bill also states that the “state institution shall not replace any orientation, training, office, or position designated for the purpose of diversity, equity.”
Ohio Sen. Jerry C. Cirino, the primary sponsor of the bill, said in a press release that “Senate Bill 1 not only does NOT limit speech or academic freedom, it actually enhances both, but with a requirement that diversity of thought be promoted.”
State Sen. Casey Weinstein has criticized Cirino’s bill.
“Ohio’s public colleges and universities have long been a source of pride for our state,” Weinstein said. “However, I am deeply concerned that Senate Bill 1, in its current form, could jeopardize that proud legacy by undermining the standards of academic integrity and safe, respectful discourse that have been foundational to Ohio’s higher education system.”
