27.02.2025 11:52
The U.S. Department of Defense has requested the removal of content promoting "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) from the websites and social media platforms of all civilian and military units. The Pentagon has set a deadline of March 5 for compliance with this request, which is seen as a continuation of President Donald Trump's executive order against DEI programs.
In an order sent with the signature of Darin Selnick, the Under Secretary responsible for personnel affairs and war readiness at the Pentagon, all units were requested to review and remove from their websites and social media accounts any publications, videos, visuals, or news promoting DEI or related to it.
The order specified that a deadline of March 5 was set for the fulfillment of this request, and for content that could not be removed within this period, instructions were given to impose "access restrictions." In the order signed by Selnick on February 19, it was stated, "It is more important than ever to maintain public trust when focusing on recent changes within the department."
SEEN AS A CONTINUATION OF TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER
The Pentagon's order is seen as a continuation of the executive order signed by President Donald Trump against DEI programs. Furthermore, it is noted that this directive does not explicitly specify which content should be removed, and the removal of content related to "minorities" and "female personnel" could provoke backlash. In a previous directive, the department had stated that the military should remain apolitical while carrying out their duties and focus on "performing their tasks in a non-partisan manner."
WHAT IS THE DEI PROGRAM?
The DEI program, conducted under the title of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," aimed to create a more "fair and equal" environment, particularly in workplaces and schools. However, DEI has faced criticism in recent years for being "politicized and imposing its own ideology." Following Trump's inauguration on January 20, he signed an executive order titled "Ending the Government's Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Privileges," and efforts were initiated to abolish the program.
On February 1, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement titled "Identity Months Are Over," announcing that official resources would not be used for hosting celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months and days such as "Black History Month," "Women's History Month," "Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month," "National Hispanic Heritage Month," "National Disability Employment Awareness Month," and "National Native American Heritage Month." The Baltimore City Council filed a counter lawsuit, claiming that this executive order violated Congress's spending authority and constitutional rights such as freedom of expression.