A flurry of executive actions signed on Trump's first day in office

President Donald Trump signed executive orders on January 20, 2025, to dismantle Diversity Equity Inclusion initiatives within the federal government, promoting instead a merit-based approach to government employment and policy-making. This represents a significant shift back to policies reminiscent of his first term, with potential implications for both public and private sector DEI efforts. These actions reflect Trump's intent to undo many of the policies enacted by the Biden administration in the areas of diversity, climate change, immigration, and federal employment.

Trump has signed orders to remove or rescind any diversity, equity, and inclusion policies implemented during the Biden administration. This includes reversing policies aimed at promoting diversity in federal government operations.[](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-expected-sign-50-executive-orders-monday-rcna188337)[](https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/politics/trump-executive-orders-lawmakers-day-1/index.html)[](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-executive-orders-day-one-inauguration-2017511)

- **Climate and Energy Policies**: Orders related to Biden's climate and energy initiatives, such as the electric vehicle mandate, are among those rescinded. Trump is also expected to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling, reversing previous environmental protections.[](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-executive-orders-day-one-inauguration-2017511)

- **Immigration Policies**: Trump plans to reinstate immigration policies he had in his first term that were rescinded by Biden. This includes the "Remain in Mexico" policy and ending "Catch and Release".[](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-expected-sign-50-executive-orders-monday-rcna188337)[](https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/politics/trump-executive-orders-lawmakers-day-1/index.html)[](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-executive-orders-day-one-inauguration-2017511)

- **Schedule F**: An executive order known as Schedule F, which would ease the process of firing federal employees by removing certain job protections, is reinstated. This order was initially signed by Trump in October 2020 but was rescinded by Biden.[](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-expected-sign-50-executive-orders-monday-rcna188337)[](https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/19/politics/trump-executive-orders-lawmakers-day-1/index.html)

- **Federal Government Initiatives**: Trump has signed executive orders aimed at dismantling all DEI initiatives within the federal government. This includes:

  - Termination of all DEI programs in federal agencies, such as environmental justice programs, equity-related grants, equity action plans, and other equity initiatives.[](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-set-dismantle-dei-federal-government-day-executive/story?id=117884488)

- **Merit-Based System**: Trump has advocated for a "colorblind" and merit-based system, explicitly stating his administration would only recognize two genders, male and female, and would end policies that promote diversity based on race, gender, or other identity factors.[](https://x.com/RyanEQuinn/status/1881349741906481521)

- **Impact on Private Sector**: While the executive orders

directly affect federal government operations, there's an expectation that this could influence or signal to the private sector. Trump officials have indicated that further actions regarding private companies might follow soon.[](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-set-dismantle-dei-federal-government-day-executive/story?id=117884488)

- **Immediate Actions**: These orders were part of a flurry of executive actions signed on Trump's first day in office, signaling a rapid policy shift back to his first-term ideologies regarding diversity and inclusion.[](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-set-dismantle-dei-federal-government-day-executive/story?id=117884488)[](https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-43698/trump-inauguration-executive-orders-2025-day-1)

During his first term, Trump signed an executive order banning diversity training that he deemed divisive, which was later rescinded by Biden. The move in 2025 is seen as a continuation and amplification of his earlier policies.[](https://law.ucla.edu/news/biden-reverses-trump-executive-order-banning-diversity-training)

- **Project 2025**: This policy shift aligns with Project 2025, a conservative initiative led by the Heritage Foundation, which aims to eliminate what it describes as "divisive, race-based, anti-American propaganda like DEI in the federal workforce."[](https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2025/01/2025-insights-sections/revisiting-regulations-and-policies/employers-dei-initiatives-are-likely-to-be-targeted)

- **Public and Corporate Reaction**: There are signs that some companies, like Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart, have already started to roll back DEI initiatives in anticipation of or reaction to the political climate, though not directly due to Trump's executive actions on this specific day.[](https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/05/trump-dei-initiatives-colleges)