Only two days had passed into his term. President Donald Trump He's making waves in Washington, and a new Fox News poll shows that voters are behind him. President Trump on Monday signed an executive order ending federal DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and initiatives.
Nearly a third of voters (29%) agreed that it is “very important” for President Trump to focus on getting DEI out of government. When broken down by party, 44% of Republicans, 16% of Democrats, and 24% of independents want the president to repeal federal DEI initiatives.
to This pollFox News sampled 1,015 registered voters who submitted answers via landlines, cell phones and online poll links received via text message. The phone numbers were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size method, meaning the phone numbers proportionally represent the number of voters in all areas across the state. The results have a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.
Trump signs documents while issuing executive orders and pardons to those charged on January 6 in the Oval Office of the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
“Individual dignity, hard work, and excellence are essential to American greatness,” the White House wrote in a statement about the executive order. “Every man and woman should have the opportunity to go as far as their hard work, individual initiative, and competence can take them. In America, excellence, grit, and determination are our strength.”
The federal Office of Personnel Management notified agency and department heads on Tuesday that they must begin taking steps to close all DEI offices by the end of Wednesday, and place government employees in those offices on paid leave.
Trump holds a document on the day he issues executive orders and pardons for those charged on January 6 in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
President Trump's victory, especially his victory in the popular vote, was seen as a resounding rejection of DEI and “wokeness” in general. One particularly effective ad that turned out to be devastating for Democrats used the slogan “Kamala is theirs/them, President Trump is yours.” Many voters cited inflation and rising prices, as well as cultural issues, as reasons to support President Trump.
Trump targets gender identity and diversity in executive orders. (Getty Images/AP)
On June 25, 2021, just over six months into his presidency, then-President Joe Biden signed an executive order to “strengthen the federal workforce by promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.”
“In order to promote equity within the Federal Government, this order states that it is the policy of my Administration to develop a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the Nation,” the 2021 order said. “As the nation’s largest employer, the federal government must be a model of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
DEI became a focus of America's culture wars in 2020, after the death of George Floyd, sparking a national conversation about race as well as riots that lasted for months. Former President Biden would go on to win his election the following November and sign the executive order just over a year after Floyd's death.
