President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs within the Armed Forces, declaring a renewed American commitment to meritocracy and the elimination of race- and sex-based preferences.
The order mandates the abolition of DEI offices across the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the United States Coast Guard.
The order, signed Monday, asserts that DEI initiatives undermine military readiness, leadership cohesion, and merit-based evaluations, while promoting what it calls “un-American, divisive, and discriminatory” theories. It directs the DoD and DHS to review and eliminate programs and policies that deviate from a color-blind and sex-neutral framework.
“As Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, I am committed to ensuring that no individual or group within our Armed Forces is preferred or disadvantaged based on sex, race, ethnicity, color, or creed,” Trump stated in the order. The president called DEI programs a source of “invidious race and sex discrimination,” which he said compromise the military’s core values and operational effectiveness.
The order sets a 90-day deadline for the Secretary of Defense to conduct an internal review, documenting instances where DEI initiatives have allegedly fostered race- or sex-based discrimination. Findings will be reported directly to the Secretary of Defense.
The order prohibits the following actions within the Armed Forces and affiliated institutions:
- Establishing or maintaining DEI offices or similar entities.
- Promoting “divisive concepts,” race- or sex-based stereotyping, and scapegoating as defined in previous executive orders.
- Advancing the view that America’s founding documents are inherently racist or sexist.
- Endorsing “gender ideology,” a term defined in a separate executive order issued earlier this month.
Educational institutions under military control, including service academies, are directed to align curricula with the order. The academies must emphasize teachings that portray America and its founding documents as a “powerful force for good in human history.”
The Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security are tasked with issuing guidance to enforce the order within 30 days and submitting progress reports within 180 days. Institutions found to be noncompliant may face additional scrutiny or restructuring.
The executive order also outlines protections for its implementation, ensuring consistency with existing laws and the availability of appropriations.
Supporters of the order argue that it will strengthen military cohesion and readiness by focusing on individual merit rather than group identity.
The order builds on Trump’s broader efforts to curb DEI programs across federal agencies, echoing themes from his earlier executive orders addressing race and gender stereotyping in the workplace.
