CNN
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Donald Trump has made purging the government of diversity, equity and inclusion programs a top priority of his new administration, calling them “illegal” and “immoral.” But throughout his career Trump has espoused the opposite view and has often highlighted the importance of such initiatives in business.
Corporate governance documents of his media company, which owns the Truth Social platform, just last year pledged to foster a “culture of diversity and inclusion” among a handful of guidelines adopted before the company went public.
Trump’s business books have also championed diversity in hiring, including his 2000 book, “The America We Deserve,” in which he wrote that one of the president’s most important jobs was to “induce a greater tolerance for diversity.”
Trump, who was considering a presidential run at the time, claimed in his book that through his friendship with Black celebrities such as rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and baseball player Sammy Sosa, he’d “had the chance to learn firsthand about the diversity of American culture, and it has left me with little appetite for those who hate or preach intolerance.”
“Anyone who really knows me knows that I hate intolerance and bigotry,” Trump added.
As a presidential candidate in 2024, Trump frequently railed against DEI initiatives and his campaign pledged to immediately terminate them if he was elected.
“We will not tolerate so-called equity policies that punish Americans based on race or gender,” Trump said at a campaign stop in September 2024.
One of Trump’s first acts in office was to sign an executive order eliminating DEI initiatives across the federal government. A federal judge this week temporarily blocked the administration from carrying out some of those directives.
Still, Trump’s anti-DEI push reflects a broader pullback on some of these initiatives, which critics have argued promote preferential treatment based on race and gender. A number of well-known companies have also stepped back from their own DEI commitments, including Amazon, McDonalds and Walmart.
Supporters of DEI argue that dismantling these initiatives undermines efforts to promote equal opportunities in workplaces and organizations, particularly for underrepresented groups. And supporters have organized boycotts against several companies that rolled back diversity efforts since Trump took office.
In response to CNN’s reporting, a Trump Media & Technology Group spokesperson dismissed the significance of the diversity and inclusion statement in the company’s corporate governance, implying that it was merely legal language to comply with anti-discrimination laws.
“CNN’s focus on legal language that is obviously intended to ban discrimination and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations is a textbook example of CNN preferring frivolous, partisan ‘gotcha’ stories to meaningful news that affects people’s lives,” the spokesperson said.
The White House also weighed in, attacking DEI policies more broadly.
“The Left’s divisive focus on DEI policies undermines decades of progress toward true equality. The Trump administration rejects this backward thinking and will pursue an agenda that lifts everyone up with the chance to achieve the American Dream,” said Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman.
But legal experts CNN spoke with said that Trump Media’s claim that the diversity statement is just boilerplate legal language doesn’t hold up.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said that while companies must comply with anti-discrimination laws, they are not required to make public statements affirming diversity commitments.
“There is no law requiring an affirmative public statement,” Honig said.
New York University constitutional law professor Kenji Yoshino noted that the statement explicitly describes diversity as a factor in hiring and board nominations – something that goes beyond non-discrimination.
“The defense that this statement is only about a ban on discrimination and compliance with the law strains credulity,” Yoshino said. “The ‘commitment to diversity and inclusion’ section states that this commitment ‘is and will be a factor in identifying and nominating director candidates at both the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board levels.’ This sounds less like non-discrimination and more like traditional affirmative action.”
Trump Media included the commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of its corporate governance guidelines adopted by its board before going public in March 2024. The 5-page document includes a number of bullet points including guidelines on stock ownership and ethics and standards conduct for board directors.
“The Board is committed to creating and maintaining a culture of diversity and inclusion,” it reads. “The Company will be better able to grow and improve with a diverse Board, management, and team of employees. Such commitment is and will be a factor in identifying and nominating director candidates at both the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board levels.”
“Additionally, the Board believes in and supports equal opportunity in employment to all persons and strongly encourages management to embrace the unique contributions an employee or candidate can bring to the Company and its culture in terms of their education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, nationality, color, religion, veteran’s status, disability and other life experiences,” it continues.
Trump’s business writings have also emphasized the importance of diversity.
In his 2006 book “Trump 101: The Way to Success,” he wrote that businesses like the Trump Organization benefit from a mix of personalities and backgrounds.
“Such diversity can bring new, stimulating, and creative ideas to the business. In New York City, you have no choice; diversity comes with the terrain. You may end up working with people who are completely different than you, or who you don’t understand. They may have different values, traits, and goals, but you have to get along,” he wrote.
“The best part is that you can usually learn from these people, if you just give them a chance, and the differences can enrich your life,” he added. “When you work with others, look beyond the obvious and how they present themselves. People are not one-dimensional. Every individual has unique talents that may or may not be in the job description or listed on a resume.”
Later, Trump writes to be grateful for being exposed to different backgrounds and beliefs.
“Never presume that your way is the only way, whether you’re talking about work, ethics, or politics. Be tolerant of diverse opinions, practices, and views. Be grateful for the diversity in our lives and for the benefits of being exposed to so many different backgrounds and beliefs. Take the time to try to understand other viewpoints – how and why those people feel and act as they do. Gather information, get the whole story, and don’t jump to conclusions or judge.”
And while the host of the reality competition show “The Apprentice,” Trump frequently praised the diverse group of competitors.
In the season six premiere, Trump remarked, “These 18 candidates are about to embark on the world’s toughest job interview. They’re the best and the brightest. Lawyers, business owners, internet executives, even an Olympic athlete. The candidates are a diverse and talented group, but they all have the same goal to win a yearlong apprenticeship in the Trump Organization. It’s the dream job of a lifetime.”
