The Trump Administration is changing guidelines set by the previous administration that promoted a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) agenda to foreign officials and governments. The State Department is moving away from advocating for so-called woke policies to focus on national interests, according to spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The Biden-era directives encouraged State Department personnel to discuss social inclusion and racial, gender, and LGBTQI+ equity during international meetings. These guidelines were previously tied to performance reviews and promotion considerations. However, these criteria have been removed under the Trump administration.
Documents highlighted how staff were expected to address biases in race, ethnicity, gender, and other areas among civil and foreign services. Employees were encouraged to learn DEIA independently rather than relying on historically marginalized groups for knowledge.
A significant part of the previous guidelines required Front Offices to promote DEIA principles and support the formation of DEIA councils. Staff were to discuss and mitigate biases in both mission operations and interactions with host nations.
Pigott explained that the State Department’s current focus is on enhancing diplomatic skills and addressing pressing global challenges, rather than engaging in political activities. The emphasis is now on merit-based evaluations rather than DEIA compliance.
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