In a sweeping effort to reorient the federal government towards what he sees as its core functions, President Donald Trump, along with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has initiated extensive changes aimed at dismantling the involvement of identity politics and woke culture within federal agencies. This move marks a significant rollback of the diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives that were widely implemented during the Biden Administration. As part of this broader strategy, a series of executive orders and directives have been introduced to remove what the Trump Administration views as divisive elements from federal protocols and procedures.
Executive Orders and Directives
The Trump Administration has introduced a number of executive orders and directives designed to eliminate diversity and inclusion initiatives from federal government operations. This initiative gained significant attention with an executive order signed by President Trump that establishes official American policy as recognizing only two sexes, male and female. This profound shift in policy has led to extensive changes in how federal agencies approach and address gender and sexuality issues. For instance, the Department of State has revised its travel advisories for LGBTQI+ individuals, now only referring to LGB — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual — and intentionally excluding transgender, queer, and other identities from its guidelines.
This policy change underscores the administration’s commitment to a more traditional understanding of gender and sexuality, one that aligns with its broader goal of eliminating what it considers extraneous and divisive elements from federal operations. In practice, this means a re-evaluation and potential removal of resources and programs that specifically cater to or recognize these varied identities. The administration argues that such a reorientation is critical to ensuring that federal agencies remain focused on their primary missions, without being diverted by identity-specific initiatives that may undermine unity and overall efficiency.
Changes in the Department of Defense
The impact of this policy shift is particularly evident within the Department of Defense (DoD), where a memo issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has effectively ended the observance of “identity months” within the department. Hegseth’s directive emphasizes that the DoD’s primary responsibility is its warfighting mission and that efforts to highlight or promote individual identities can detract from this core focus. According to the memo, initiatives that divide military personnel along identity lines can undermine camaraderie and mission execution, thereby weakening the cohesion and operational effectiveness of the armed forces.
Under this new directive, the DoD will no longer allocate official resources to support cultural awareness events tied to National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. However, military personnel and DoD civilians retain the freedom to participate in such events independently and outside of duty hours. This approach is reflective of the administration’s broader ethos that official resources should be dedicated solely to initiatives that directly support the department’s primary objectives and mission.
Revisions at the FBI and Bureau of Prisons
Similar policy adjustments have been instituted across other federal agencies, including significant changes at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). At the FBI’s Quantico education campus, a prominent wall mural that previously promoted an array of “core values” such as sustainability, equity, diversity, compassion, and emotional maturity was painted over. This alteration intends to realign the depiction of values with the FBI’s primary mission, which includes protecting the United States from terrorist threats, espionage, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, violent crime, white-collar crime, and upholding civil rights.
At the Bureau of Prisons, statistics related to the number of transgender inmates in federal custody have been removed from its website. Previously, the site listed data showing 1,529 transgender females (men identifying as women) and 744 transgender males (women identifying as men) in custody. This information is now standardized to solely show the male and female inmate populations without differentiation for transgender individuals. The change aligns with the administration’s emphasis on a binary understanding of gender, reinforcing its stance on limiting the recognition of non-binary and transgender identities within federal records and policies.
Department of the Interior and Agriculture Shifts
At the Department of the Interior, efforts have shifted towards showcasing American historical greatness through the restoration of traditional place names. Notable examples include the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Denali being reverted back to Mount McKinley. The department’s website underlines its intention to honor President Trump’s executive order aimed at ensuring that the names and terminologies used by the department reflect the values, sacrifices, and accomplishments that define the American nation. This renaming initiative is seen as a step to reinforce national pride and historical significance.
Similarly, the Department of Agriculture has redirected its focus from climate change to its foundational missions of agriculture, ranching, and forestry management. This realignment aligns with the broader federal reorientation effort, emphasizing traditional roles and responsibilities over newer, identity-based initiatives. By focusing on these primary functions, the department aims to strengthen its effectiveness and efficiency in serving its core constituencies, while stepping away from initiatives seen as diverging from these central responsibilities.
Administration’s Ideology and Broader Efforts
President Donald Trump, in a sweeping effort to refocus the federal government on what he sees as its fundamental responsibilities, has initiated significant changes alongside the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These efforts aim to eliminate the influence of identity politics and woke culture within federal agencies. This initiative represents a substantial reversal of the diversity and inclusion policies that were widely adopted during the Biden Administration. As part of this comprehensive strategy, the Trump Administration has introduced a series of executive orders and directives designed to strip away what they consider divisive elements from federal protocols and practices. The goal is to shift the focus back to what they believe are core governmental functions, free from the constraints of ideological agendas that emphasize identity over unity.
