Trump’s War on Diversity: Executive Order Purges DEI from the U.S. Military

A Dangerous Step Toward Authoritarianism

With the stroke of a pen, President Trump has declared war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the U.S. military. His January 27, 2025, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” Executive Order abolishes all DEI offices within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), bans military academies from teaching about systemic racism and gender studies, and orders an ideological purge of instructors and curricula that promote “divisive concepts.”

Framing DEI as a threat to military readiness, cohesion, and lethality, this order aligns directly with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s roadmap for re-engineering the U.S. government into a far-right nationalist stronghold. The 2025 Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025’s guiding document, calls for eradicating all DEI programs, defunding equity initiatives, and enforcing a version of American history that downplays systemic racism and sexism.

At its core, this EO isn’t about strengthening the military, it’s about imposing an ideological straitjacket on the Armed Forces, silencing discussions of racism, banning gender diversity, and punishing institutions that embrace inclusivity. It represents a dangerous step toward authoritarian governance, where the military becomes a tool for cultural and ideological enforcement rather than a force for national defense.

This analysis will break down what’s inside this EO, how it connects to Project 2025, and the serious legal, social, and strategic consequences it poses for the future of the U.S. military and democracy itself.

1. Policy Content and Intent

What Does This Executive Order Do?

• Abolishes All DEI Offices in the Military
  • The Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security must eliminate every DEI office, including sub-offices, initiatives, and training programs.
  • The military may no longer use hiring preferences or special benefits based on race, sex, or ethnicity.
• Mandates an Internal Review of Past DEI Policies
  • The Secretary of Defense must conduct a full audit of past DEI initiatives, documenting instances of race- and sex-based hiring, education, and training.
  • The report must be submitted within 90 days.
• Bans Military Academies from Teaching “Divisive Concepts”
  • Military schools may no longer teach about systemic racism, gender diversity, or sexism in U.S. history.
  • Instructors must be screened for compliance with this order.
  • The curriculum must emphasize that America’s founding documents are the “most powerful force for good” in human history.
• Forces the DoD to Submit a Compliance Report
  • The DoD and DHS must submit a full report documenting how they have eliminated DEI programs and provide a roadmap for continued compliance.

2. Historical Context and Precedent: The War on DEI

This EO directly reverses decades of military policies designed to ensure equity and prevent discrimination:

✅ President Truman’s 1948 Executive Order 9981 (desegregated the U.S. military)
✅ Post-9/11 Military Recruitment Reforms (increased minority and women representation)
✅ Obama-era DEI Initiatives (expanded gender integration, LGBTQ+ protections, and racial equity)
✅ Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on DEI in Federal Agencies (formalized DEI as a military priority)

This new EO erases decades of progress, returning the military to an era of “colorblind” policies that ignore structural discrimination while reinforcing racial and gender disparities.

3. Broader Policy Context: The Shadow of Project 2025

How This EO Fits Into Trump’s Christian Nationalist Agenda

This EO isn’t just about military policy, it’s about advancing a broader authoritarian agenda.

Direct Quotes from the 2025 Mandate for Leadership:

• “The next conservative administration must defund and abolish all DEI offices across the federal government.” (Chapter: Department of Defense)
• “Military training must focus on warfighting, not woke ideology.” (Chapter: Defense Strategy)
• “The conservative movement must restore America’s founding principles by removing progressive indoctrination from military institutions.” (Chapter: Homeland Security)

This EO is a direct implementation of Project 2025’s vision for a militarized nationalist state. It seeks to:
Eradicate all discussions of systemic racism and gender identity
Punish institutions that acknowledge racial and gender disparities
Re-engineer the military into a politically conservative force

4. Predicted Outcomes and Probability Estimates