On his first day in office, Trump signed executive orders revoking Executive Order 11246 — the 1965 order signed by Lyndon Johnson requiring federal contractors not to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin. This order had been in place for 60 years through both Republican and Democratic administrations.
The order also banned all DEI programs across the federal government, ordered the closure of all federal DEI offices, placed DEI employees on paid leave, and directed agencies to identify and terminate DEI-related contracts. Federal employees were told to report any DEI programs that had been 'disguised' under new names.
The administration then threatened private companies with investigations and prosecution if they maintained DEI programs — even voluntary ones. The DOJ and EEOC were directed to investigate corporations with DEI initiatives. Companies including Meta, Amazon, McDonald's, Walmart, and Target preemptively gutted their diversity programs in response.
The revoked executive order didn't just cover 'DEI' — it was the foundational anti-discrimination requirement for any company doing business with the federal government. Federal contractors employ approximately 20% of the U.S. workforce. Revoking it removed the only enforceable anti-discrimination requirement for millions of workers whose employers receive taxpayer dollars.