President Trump Cancels All Federal Diversity Programs and Places Staff on Paid Leave

The Trump administration has instructed that all federal employees working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles be placed on paid administrative leave. This directive was conveyed in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, which was issued on Tuesday to the heads of various federal departments and agencies.

The memo set a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday for notifying affected employees about the leave. Agencies are also required to shut down DEI-related offices, programs, and remove associated websites and social media accounts.

Furthermore, federal agencies have been asked to submit a written plan by January 31 for the dismissal of these employees.

This action follows President Donald Trump’s executive order signed on Monday, which aims to end what he described as “radical and wasteful” DEI initiatives within federal agencies.

The Trump administration has instructed that all federal employees working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles be placed on paid administrative leave. This directive was conveyed in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, which was issued on Tuesday to the heads of various federal departments and agencies.

The memo set a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday for notifying affected employees about the leave. Agencies are also required to shut down DEI-related offices, programs, and remove associated websites and social media accounts.

Furthermore, federal agencies have been asked to submit a written plan by January 31 for the dismissal of these employees.

This action follows President Donald Trump’s executive order signed on Monday, which aims to end what he described as “radical and wasteful” DEI initiatives within federal agencies.

“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday night. “This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept.”

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed 46 executive orders and presidential actions, fulfilling several of his campaign promises. These actions included reversing Biden-era border policies and issuing pardons to individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riots.

Tuesday, he signed an executive order that targeted diverse hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration, arguing that such initiatives penalized “hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color.”