President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday signed an executive memorandum eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) requirements from the U.S. Foreign Service, signaling a major shift in federal hiring and promotion policies for diplomatic personnel.
The order directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revise the Foreign Service’s evaluation criteria, removing references to DEI-focused Core Precepts that had been embedded in the tenure and promotion process. The move aligns with Trump’s broader effort to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government, which he has characterized as “divisive and discriminatory.”
READ: Florida GOP Extends Voter Registration Lead Over Democrats, Nearing 1.2 Million Advantage
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the executive order, declaring that DEI has been permanently removed from America’s diplomatic corps.
“DEI is gone, forever,” Rubio stated. “This divisive and discriminatory practice has no place in our country or our diplomacy. We are restoring meritocracy in everything the State Department does.”
The executive memorandum states that hiring in foreign policy positions must be based solely on merit, reversing policies implemented in the Biden administration that prioritized DEI initiatives in diplomatic staffing decisions.
“Over the last four years, divisive and discriminatory policies were systematically embedded into every part of the Federal Government, including hiring processes and employee performance evaluations in the Foreign Service,” the memorandum reads. “It is the policy of the Federal Government that hiring in foreign policy positions, like hiring in all other parts of the Government, shall be based solely on merit.”
READ: President Trump Issues Proclamation Honoring National Agriculture Day
The State Department and other agencies overseeing the Foreign Service must take the following actions:
- Revise Foreign Service promotion and tenure criteria to remove the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” (DEIA) Core Precept.
- Ensure hiring, promotion, and retention decisions are based strictly on merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- Prohibit officials from promoting or advocating for DEI-related policies while acting in an official capacity.
- Investigate Foreign Service Members who have “knowingly and willfully engaged in unconstitutional or illegal discrimination” based on race or other protected characteristics.
The order also instructs the State Department to determine whether any Foreign Service employees violated non-discrimination policies through DEI-related hiring and training practices and to take disciplinary action where necessary.
This directive builds on Trump’s recent executive actions aimed at dismantling DEI programs across the federal government. His administration has already:
- Eliminated DEI training programs across federal agencies.
- Revoked DEI-related policies in federal contracting and grants.
- Banned “discriminatory equity ideology” from being taught in government-funded K-12 schools and universities.
The move also follows Executive Order 14211, which asserts that the U.S. should project a “unified foreign policy voice” free from ideological influences, particularly those associated with DEI initiatives.
The State Department is now tasked with implementing the order, and it is expected that some career diplomats and advocacy groups may challenge the directive in court.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
