President-elect Donald Trump has expressed outrage over the FBI’s decision to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion division just ahead of his return to the White House.
Trump, alongside his MAGA supporters, has consistently criticized DEI initiatives, viewing them as a mechanism that allows less qualified individuals to secure positions that should have been filled by more capable candidates, irrespective of race or gender. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) accused the FBI of having “prioritized” DEI at the expense of “safeguarding the American populace.”
Nonetheless, there has been a racially and gender-biased undertone in the broader MAGA critiques of DEI programs, which have even been held responsible for the intensity of the wildfires in California.
Any hopes that Trump would welcome the end of the FBI’s diversity initiative were quickly dispelled. The president-elect managed to find an opportunity to vent his frustrations as well, taking to Truth Social to express his discontent with the timing of the decision.
“We call upon the FBI to maintain and preserve all records, documents, and information regarding the now-closing DEI Office—It should never have been established, and if it was, it should have been shut down long ago. Why are they closing it just one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The answer is, CORRUPTION!” he fumed on his social media platform.
The FBI, however, claims that it had started the process of closing the office back in December. “In recent weeks, the FBI has taken steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” a representative informed The National News Desk (TNND) on Thursday.
While the FBI did not elaborate on its rationale, officials would have been aware that Trump was set to eliminate the program following his inauguration on January 20. His nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, has vowed to implement significant reforms if he is confirmed to lead the agency.
