What Trump’s War on DEI Means for Business

WSJ What’s News

The Wall Street Journal

News, Daily News

4.1 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

A blitz of executive orders from President Trump promises to do more than rid the government of diversity, inclusion and equity policies. WSJ workplace and employment reporter Lauren Weber and career and work life columnist Callum Borchers explain how the president’s moves to stamp out DEI efforts are starting to ripple across Corporate America, and what those changes mean for workers. Luke Vargas hosts. Further Reading: How Trump’s Assault on DEI Will Ripple Across Corporate America You Blamed DEI for Hurting Your Career. Now What? Anti-DEI Activists Target Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase Trump’s War on DEI Freezes Diversity Work Across Federal Government Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	With record levels of dry powder available for investment, find out what's in store for private markets in 2025 and beyond.
0:06.9	Listen to crafting capital in partnership with UBS at partners.w.sj.com slash UBS, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
0:17.3	Hey, What's News listeners, it's Sunday February 2nd.
0:20.8	I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal, and this is What's News Sunday, the show where we tackle the big questions about the biggest stories in the news by reaching out to our colleagues across the newsroom to help explain what's happening in our world.
0:34.5	And this week, we'll look at how President Trump's bid to stamp out diversity, equity,
0:39.3	and inclusion efforts within the U.S. government are rippling across American corporations.
0:45.1	And we'll also discuss what changes might be coming to your workplace as a result.
0:50.5	All right, let's get right to it.
0:55.1	It didn't take long for President Trump to take an axe to DEI programs within the government when he took office last month.
1:02.2	As just hours after his inauguration, he signed an executive order that described DEI efforts pursued by President Biden as illegal and immoral. That order also characterized
1:13.6	those programs as having infiltrated the government across nearly every federal agency
1:18.9	and in the process demonstrating, quote, immense public waste and shameful discrimination.
1:25.7	In a few minutes, we'll speak to Wall Street Journal on-the-clock columnist Kalim Borshers.
1:29.3	But first, I'm joined by journal reporter Lauren Weber,
1:33.3	who has been tracking the effects of Trump's efforts to stamp out DEI within the government,
1:37.3	as well as crucially beyond it.
1:39.3	Lauren, walk us through what we've seen so far.
1:42.3	Well, one of the first things he did was sign this executive order on the first day of his administration,
1:48.2	basically shutting down all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within government agencies.
1:55.1	Among other things, it meant that chief diversity officers within agencies and DEI teams were put on leave.
2:01.4	I believe the expectation is those teams will just be laid off.
2:04.9	So the next day, Trump tried to do similar things with federal contractors.
	...

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