President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order on Tuesday, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) considerations from the U.S. Foreign Service. The order, which builds on previous efforts to roll back DEI initiatives across the federal government, directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure hiring and promotions are based strictly on merit.
The order calls for the immediate removal of DEI-related language from hiring and promotion practices within the State Department. Trump’s directive states that “divisive and discriminatory policies were systematically embedded into every part of the Federal Government,” including foreign policy roles, and that “hiring shall be based solely on merit.” This move reverses the Biden administration’s approach, which had incorporated DEI factors into the evaluation of Foreign Service personnel.
A key target of the order is the Decision Criteria for Tenure and Promotion in the Foreign Service, a manual introduced under the Biden administration. The manual had required Foreign Service employees to actively advance “diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in words and actions” and to prioritize hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds. By eliminating DEI from this framework, the Trump administration signals a return to a strictly qualifications-based approach.
The order also prohibits Foreign Service employees from promoting what it describes as a “discriminatory equity ideology” while on duty. It defines this ideology as one that “treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups, rather than as individuals” and that “minimizes agency, merit, and capability in favor of immoral generalizations.” This language aligns with Trump’s broader critique of DEI programs, which he argues have prioritized group identity over individual merit.
In addition to removing DEI-based hiring and evaluation criteria, the order instructs Rubio and other cabinet members, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, to assess whether any current Foreign Service employees have engaged in unconstitutional or illegal discrimination under the guise of equity initiatives. If such cases are found, the officials are directed to take “appropriate action,” though the order does not specify what disciplinary measures may be pursued.
Trump’s action is the latest in a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling DEI policies in government institutions. Previous orders have cut off funding to schools that push DEI and have eliminated race-based preferences in federal contracting. On his first day in office, Trump signed an order mandating that all federal hiring decisions be based on merit, practical skills, and an individual’s commitment to upholding the Constitution.
With this latest directive, the administration continues its effort to ensure that federal agencies operate without ideological influence, focusing instead on competence and capability. Critics of DEI policies argue that these initiatives have led to hiring practices that prioritize ideological compliance over qualifications, weakening institutions in the process. By enforcing merit-based standards in the Foreign Service, the administration seeks to restore a system where skill and performance determine career advancement, not adherence to politically motivated policies.
