Trump turns up the heat on DEI in federal contracting

President Donald Trump took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion policies in federal contractors, issuing an executive order focused specifically on the group.

The president has issued more than 225 executive orders during his second term, more than a handful of which have been focused on ending DEI practices in as much of American society as possible. Most of them he signed within his first 100 days, and some, within his first two days in office.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of all DEI programs and offices within the federal government. On Jan. 21, he signed another aimed at ending DEI considerations in federal hiring and public and higher education and ordering all federal agencies to use the law to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies,” etc.

In April, he issued another order targeting disparate-impact liability, which applies when a policy disproport...