Trump Administration Takes Crucial First Steps Toward Tackling DEI in Medicine

On Monday, President Trump signed several executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government. 

The most comprehensive executive order, Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing, directed the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to terminate “all discriminatory programs,” including DEI mandates and activities, in the federal government.

The order also directed federal agency heads to terminate all DEI offices, positions, and policies within their respective agency.

Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order to ensure merit-based hiring in the federal workforce. The order ensures that federal agencies “prevent the hiring of individuals based on their race, sex, or religion” going forward.

And finally, President Trump signed executive orders rescinding Biden-era directives that embedded DEI practices in federal agencies.

These included Executive Order 13985, which directed federal agency heads to promote “racial equity” in their respective departments, Executive Order 13988, which aimed to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, and Executive Order 14127, which more aggressively promoted DEI through developing a government-wide “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan” and directing each agency to implement this plan.

“Do No Harm commends President Trump’s actions to roll back DEI practices in the federal government and restore merit-based hiring,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of Do No Harm. “Do No Harm will work with the incoming administration in its efforts to remove politics from medicine.”

Do No Harm has worked diligently to expose federal health agencies’ roles in advancing DEI and racially discriminatory practices in the medical field. From lawsuits challenging discriminatory policies to research and comments on the negative effects of the Biden administration’s “health equity” agenda, we have worked to rid healthcare of these harmful practices.

We are optimistic that these policies and ideologies will be sent to the dustbin of history.