Donald Trump’s first few days in office have been characterized by a flurry of executive orders, and a huge hit for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as we know it.

On Monday, the president signed an executive order putting an end to all federal DEI initiatives, calling them “illegal,” “immoral,” and “discriminatory.” Within 60 days of the announcement, agencies must “coordinate the termination” of all programs. Federal employees and their leaders who work on DEI initiatives were also placed on paid administrative leave as of Wednesday at 5 p.m., with many set to be either reassigned or terminated.

On Tuesday, Trump released a separate executive action directing federal agencies to target the business world, and take “appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.” As part of this plan, each agency must identify up to nine potential investigations at large publicly traded corporations, nonprofits, or education institutions, among other groups. The order also says that litigation may be “potentially appropriate” to push forward with these endeavors.

Pushback against diversity efforts has been picking up steam since the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in 2023, and several major companies have already rolled back their DEI initiatives. But Trump’s executive actions this week mark a major escalation when it comes to attacks on DEI policies both inside and outside the government. Lawyers that...

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