Medical Associations Pledge Support for DEI in Response to President Trump’s Executive Orders

Since taking office, President Trump has signed several executive orders that will likely transform the medical landscape, especially regarding medical associations’ involvement with DEI and gender ideology. These orders target discriminatory DEI programs in the private sector, as well as federal funding of DEI initiatives.

Major medical associations like the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Association of American Medical Colleges have largely elected to remain silent, despite their institutional commitments to DEI, and not outwardly oppose the executive orders.

However, several major medical associations have pledged to continue their DEI advocacy in response to President Trump’s executive orders.

American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has pledged to advocate for its “equity” agenda in response to President Trump’s executive orders cracking down on DEI, particularly among medical associations.

On February 7, ACP issued a statement and organizational guidance explaining its posture toward the Trump administration. The guidance particularly focused on President Trump’s DEI executive orders, and doubled down on the organization’s commitment to DEI while pledging further advocacy efforts.

“We’re reaffirming our commitment to equity, compassion, inclusion and justice as our core values,” Shari Erickson, ACP’s “chief advocacy officer and senior vice president of governmental affairs and public policy,” said in the statement.

The guidance also contained an item stating that the organization will “Reaffirm That Equity Is an Essential Bedrock of ACP Policy.”

“Equity is such an integral part of our policies and principles that we needed to reaffirm our positions,” Erickson said.

American Nurses Association

Do No Harm obtained a February 12 email from Angela Beddoe, Chief Executive Officer of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Enterprise, pledging to support policies that advance diversity and equity.

“First, let’s talk about the efforts to eliminate DEI. For us it is not just an acronym. It’s about making sure every individual has access to quality healthcare and tapping into all populations to develop a nursing workforce that is representative of the communities served. It’s about embracing the differences everybody brings to the table regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, or even geographic location. Equity means treating everyone fairly, recognizing that everyone does not start from the same place, and we must acknowledge and make necessary adjustments to imbalances for every American.  

We will stand in support of policies which guarantee that all individuals are being taken care of, and we continue to lean into our values to safeguard nursing workforce policies which create opportunities for all Americans, including drawing discouraged workers into the labor force and supporting equitable health care access and outcomes for all.” 

American Society of Hematology

Do No Harm also obtained a February 14 email from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) President Belinda R. Avalos to ASH members that included a column from Avalos vowing to continue DEI activities in response to the executive orders.

“I want to share an early look at my next column (for the March/April issue) with you here because it addresses topics I believe we’re all following: the changes coming from the new presidential administration related to science and research, and its treatment of anything perceived to be a ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ program. It’s important for you to know that ASH remains committed to its mission of improving access to quality care and supporting the growth and development of an expanding field of professional researchers and clinicians in hematology.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

‘And that brings us to commitment. Our core values do not have their roots in politics, nor will they be abandoned by policy shifts. Remember ASH’s mission: “Fostering high-quality, equitable care, transformative research, and innovative education to improve the lives of patients with blood and bone marrow disorders.”

We’ve advanced that mission under multiple presidential administrations and Congresses, irrespective of the party in power. We will continue to do so. And ASH will not waver in its commitment to combating discrimination and fostering fairness in health care, nurturing a hematology workforce that is reflective of and better serves the larger population, and welcoming a wide variety of perspectives, experiences, and expertise to the fight against blood diseases.

We may have to consider new approaches and be more creative in how to advance those goals, but our work remains vital and necessary.’”

ASH has a long history of promoting DEI and discriminatory programs; the organization rebranded its discriminatory Minority Recruitment Initiative (MRI) after Do No Harm filed civil rights complaints against 20 medical schools that advertised the program.

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) President Jen Brull, MD, wrote a blog expressing dismay over President Trump’s executive orders and actions. 

“In the past two weeks, we have seen an unprecedented number of executive orders and actions that threaten the health of our patients, the practice of family medicine and the well-being of the communities we serve. The pace and scope of these changes are concerning, and I want to be clear: The AAFP shares your concerns, and we are taking action,” the blog reads.

Brull does not explicitly mention the executive orders regarding DEI and gender ideology. 

But it’s worth noting that the AAFP is a staunch advocate for DEI and child sex changes, even publicly opposing state efforts to protect children from harmful transgender medical procedures.

National Association of School Psychologists

In response to the executive orders, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) President Peter Faustino sent an email to members doubling down on the organization’s DEI activities. 

While the NASP declined to overtly oppose the executive order, it did reiterate its commitment to “equity, diversity, and inclusion” in spite of the executive order.

Additionally, the NASP linked to its “Resolutions” webpage which includes resolutions to pursue divisive agenda items such as “anti-racism” (which, in practice, invariably involves racial discrimination).

The anti-racism resolution include commitments to “prioritize the perspectives and viewpoints of BIPOC students, families, and communities,” to “provide opportunities for implicit bias training and education for school psychologists and graduate educators,” to advocate for hiring policies so that school psychologists are “reflective of the demographics of the school community,” and many more.

Editor’s note: This list will be updated in the future.